......
Because it was an interior line campaign, Nobunaga's army didn't need to bring much in the way of supplies; plus, spirits were high, and they moved fast—just half a day's march brought them close to East Tsubono, where they could already see the East Tsube Stronghold from afar. The Matsudaira family came to raid a few times every year, and the Oda Family wasn't stupid either—they had long ago built two strongholds on this road, namely East Tsube and East Wood, each stuffed with over a hundred men inside for good measure.
In the past, whenever the Matsudaira family came to loot and harass, they always had to think twice because of these two strongholds; they didn't dare go too far in, to avoid getting pincered front and back. Plus, with the "Tiger of Owari" looming over them, they never dared linger during their hit-and-run raids, and had never been able to do anything about East Tsube and East Wood.
