Yamato Takeru had defeated the Kumaso in the west and Izumo Takeru, and returned to Yamato. His father, Emperor Keiko, gave him no time to rest and ordered him: "Subdue the wild gods and the rebels of the twelve lands to the east."
Before setting out, Takeru went to worship at the shrine of the great god of Ise and met his aunt Yamato-hime, who served there. In tears he said, "My father must want me dead. He sent me to strike down the wicked in the west, and now, when I have hardly returned, he sends me without soldiers to subdue the wicked of the twelve eastern lands. He surely thinks I had better die."
Yamato-hime gave the weeping Takeru the sword Kusanagi and a bag as well, saying, "If you are ever in danger, untie the mouth of this bag."
Takeru came to the land of Sagami. The local governor lied to him: "In the middle of this plain is a great marsh, and the god who lives there is very violent." He lured Takeru out onto the plain and set fire to the grass all around. Realizing he had been tricked, Takeru opened his aunt's bag and found flints inside. First he cut away the grass around him with the sword, then struck a counter-fire with the flints and drove the blaze back. Then he turned and cut down the governor and his men and burned them. That is why the place is called Yakitsu, the Burning Ford (Yaizu).