"..."
Mifune's vision went black. When he could see again, he found himself in a stretch of wasteland.
"Check the unit roster! Confirm whether anyone is missing!"
"Dispatch scouts to survey the surrounding area immediately!"
The guards beside Mifune reacted at once, displaying exceptional military discipline. Professional orders rang out one after another, and the Land of Iron's army quickly assumed combat readiness.
Unlike the Five Nations Alliance, the Land of Iron had deployed an elite force this time: one thousand elite samurai, each capable of taking on ten men.
"Has this area been surveyed before?"
Mifune asked.
"Yes. After Konoha announced that the Shinobi War would take place in the Land of Whirlpools, I sent a scouting squad to survey the surrounding terrain..."
His deputy soon brought over a rough map.
Mifune studied it, his brow furrowing slightly.
There was nowhere suitable for hiding or setting an ambush. The only place nearby was an abandoned harbor village.
As an island nation, the Land of Whirlpools had relied heavily on foreign trade, so it had built numerous harbor villages before its destruction.
The spot where his troops now stood had once been where the villagers made sea salt or dried seafood.
"Report! Head count complete! All one thousand personnel are present!"
"Report! Five scouting teams have been dispatched to survey the area!"
"Report! No sign of the enemy!"
As the reports came in, Mifune's deputy quickly reached a conclusion. "It seems we were transported here separately by faction. Besides Konoha's Kakashi, I was keeping an eye on several other factions earlier, and none of them..."
"No need to report to me. I'm leaving you in charge here."
Mifune suddenly waved a hand, handing command of the army directly to his deputy.
"My lord?"
"You're more than enough to handle