I just started an anime called "Dororo" which takes place during this period and I was wondering if any actual ways of living/stuff that happened/stuff that could happen was in the show. Mainly, from the episode I just watched, something really horrible. SPOILER ALERT: Basically, there was 2 armies "at war" but still not fighting, like they were on wait for a while (months? years? didn't say). A poor woman was taking care of children (orphans with disabilities) and went to work in one of the camp. Then at one point, to get more money, she decided to go work in the other camp also. Well of course, the 1st camp ended up knowing and went to kill her when she arrived home (I get why for her, seen as a spy). But the show depicted the children also being killed. So I was wondering if it is something that could/had happened, because I am pretty traumatized right now and scared of what might happen to innocent kids back then.
Oh man, I've got some bad news for you.
I haven't watched Dororo or heard of a story like this, so I'm not sure if it's based on a popular folk tale (if it is, most likely made after the "warring states" time, like during/post Edo period). It goes without saying rich people's kids can get very unlucky if their family's in hot water - usually in the style of execution of all male members. As for commoner kids, they've got a little more utility than decorating pikes.
Poverty was quite rampant for a good portion of the commoners during that time, and people pawned off anything to get the money they need (obviously, often doing so with the intention of buying back whatever they pawned off). Not just your average goods, they also gave up (temporarily) lands, houses, and even people. Obviously, when that money cannot be paid back, the temporary ownership becomes indefinite. People of all kinds can be sold into slavery - not just women and children. During times of disaster or war (which is like, all the time), daimyos often couldn't fill their muscle requirements at these projects with the "people tax" (essentially labours conscripted to do the heavy infrastructure work from their villages). Thus, strong males were also a hot pick for the slave traders. This means that children of both gender could potentially gather quite a bit of money.
You might say: "well, the merchants weren't the same as samurai, right? Surely there's gotta be some class and chivalry". Well, some of these operations were sponsored by daimyos (for example: Uesugi Kenshin). Obviously, I don't think it's fair to say they were all depraved animals. Each "villain" has their hardship in life, per say: a peasant who sold their own child may be on the brink of starvation; a slave trader risks their business with war and heavy (and multiple) taxation, even their life if someone from their province/village did something bad (they had a very group-ish mentality back then); a low-rank samurai could be scraping by with his low income; and a high-ranking one worries about losing his head to his enemies (or friends) each and every day.