I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1110 The Shinsengumi Splits! Kondo Isami and Saito Hajime's Rebellion! [6000]

The first year of Kuangtian/the first year of Meiji (1865), November 1st, night——

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, Ito Residence, "Ito Private School"——

The autumn wind is bleak.

The night wind outside the window howled and whistled, producing a sharp sound that sent chills down one's spine.

Heisuke Todo flipped through the pages of "The Great History of Japan" in front of him, reviewing his previous lessons while waiting for Kashitaro Ito to arrive.

Before he knew it, he had been attending classes at the "Ito Juku" for more than two months.

The long-awaited return to the ocean of knowledge filled him with immense fulfillment, and much of the pressure that had been weighing on his shoulders dissipated.

Looking back on the past two months of studying at the "Ito Juku", Todo Heisuke sincerely exclaimed: It was so wonderful to be able to listen to my master's teachings!

Ito Kashitaro's scholarship far surpassed that of others.

Although he had read the "Great History of Japan" countless times, he gained many new insights after listening to the careful teachings of Ito Kashitaro.

Indeed, he felt extremely fortunate to be able to attend classes at the "Ito Juku".

But... for some reason, from the very first day he joined the "Ito Juku," an inexplicable sense of foreboding lingered in his heart...

What first made him feel uneasy was Ito Kashitaro's political stance.

During class, Ito Kashitaro would always intentionally or unintentionally promote the idea of ​​"supporting the imperial court".

Supporting the imperial court—this is not a wrong or unspeakable idea.

In fact, both the "pro-shogunate camp" and the "respect-and-exploit camp" supported the imperial court.

There were many pro-shogunate leaders who admired the imperial court, and Matsudaira Katamori, the lord of the Aizu Domain, was a prime example.

For both camps, "supporting the imperial court" is an indisputable moral high ground and a matter of righteousness, which they would never easily hand over to others.

The main point of contention between the "pro-shogunate camp" and the "respect-and-exploitation camp" regarding the imperial court was the question of "which is more important, the shogunate or the imperial court."

The latter advocated "restoration of imperial rule," suppressing the shogunate and restoring the imperial court to control the country, just like the Nara and Heian periods a thousand years ago.

The former, on the other hand, requires the continuation of the tradition of "government affairs in the secretariat, and sacrifices in the imperial court."

To be honest, in the past, Todo Heisuke's thinking leaned towards the "respect and expulsion" camp.

Influenced by traditional Confucian education, Ito Kashitaro always held great sympathy for the imperial court.

Even when he was still the master of the Ito Dojo, he often preached the idea of ​​"supporting the imperial court" to his disciples.

Under the influence of his surroundings, Todo Heisuke's political ideology also began to align with that of Ito Kashitaro, gradually leaning towards the idea that "the shogunate is bad! The imperial court is good!"

Especially after witnessing so many absurdities of the shogunate, he felt that realizing the "restoration of imperial rule" was a very necessary thing.

However, his thinking has now completely changed.

The shogunate remained the same absurd and incompetent shogunate.

But within the heart of this decaying tree, a brand new, even more robust, towering tree sprouted!

The time he spent following Aoto in his campaigns across the country was the most brilliant and glorious period of Todo Heisuke's life!
Whether restoring imperial rule could truly bring peace to the world was something Todo Heisuke could not know, after all, the Emperor's reign had been over a thousand years ago.

But he clearly saw how the capital region was restored to stability under Qingdeng's rule!

Therefore, he now genuinely feels that the Emperor can continue to be a "puppet" and the court can continue to be a "decorative figurehead." As long as Mr. Tachibana is around, this dilapidated country will eventually regain its vitality!

To be honest, he had thought to himself more than once: If only Tokugawa Iemochi would never wake up! That way, Mr. Tachibana could control the shogunate forever!
Or even further... abolish the Tokugawa family and establish a completely new samurai government...

This idea was so astonishing that even thinking about it in his mind made him break out in a cold sweat.

Therefore, whenever such thoughts surfaced in his mind, he would shiver several times and quickly change his mind, not daring to think about it any further.

Ito Kashitaro admired the imperial court and respected the royal family, a fact that Todo Heisuke was well aware of. It was not surprising that he preached the "Way of the King" in class.

But...but...he felt that the other person was promoting the "kingly way" too frequently in class, so frequently that it seemed deliberate...

Another thing that made Todo Heisuke feel uneasy about "Ito Juku" was his classmates.

This was definitely intentional on the part of Ito Kashitaro. Every single person who came to the "Ito Juku" had a close relationship with him.

Suzuki Mikisaburo, Shinohara Yasuyuki, Hattori Takeo... they were either related to Ito Kashitaro or were his staunch supporters and close disciples.

Todo Heisuke falls into the category of "close disciples".

Whenever he saw these familiar faces, Todo Heisuke would feel uneasy.

Kashitaro Ito claimed to spread knowledge to the masses, but the students he actually gathered were all his cronies...

Based on his absolute trust in Ito Kashitaro, Todo Heisuke would always think to himself:

—It's probably just that the master's energy is limited, and he can't take care of too many people, so he can only prioritize those who are close to him.

In addition to the two problems mentioned above, there is another matter that greatly troubles Todo Heisuke.

However, this matter had nothing to do with "Ito Juku" but with Saito Hajime, who never missed a class at "Ito Juku".

Thinking of this, Todo Heisuke couldn't help but glance sideways at Saito Hajime beside him.

Saito Kazuya was seen intently reading the books on the table.

Although Todo Heisuke was very careful, his little tricks could not escape the keen senses of Saito Hajime.

"Heisuke, is something the matter?"

Saito Hajime turned his head and threw it at Todo Heisuke.

"No, nothing, I just wanted to ask how you've been lately."

"I'm doing very well, and I'm carefree."

"Oh, I see... So, have you been reading any books lately?"

"Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian".

"Oh, the Records of the Grand Historian is wonderful. Sima Qian was an unparalleled literary master who could write history as excitingly as a novel. When I first read the Records of the Grand Historian, I couldn't put it down and even forgot to sleep."

"Ah."

"..."

"..."

An awkward atmosphere spread...

Todo Heisuke opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he couldn't come up with anything to say, so he could only sigh and give up regretfully.

He wasn't the only one worried about Saito Hajime.

Lately, everyone—especially the "Shieikan faction" members—has been racking their brains over Saito Hajime.

According to Todo Heisuke, after that unpleasant "team meeting", Saito Hajime approached Aoto many times, stubbornly trying to persuade him to adopt his suggestion to "let the shrine maiden wa Kazuya return the sacred artifacts".

Everyone was puzzled by this.

Some say that Saito Kazuya became arrogant because of Aoto's favoritism and repeatedly offended Aoto without any scruples.

Some say that Saito Ichika is "Wei Zheng reincarnated," speaking frankly and not backing down despite Seido's strong stance.

In short, there are all sorts of opinions.

Despite differing opinions, everyone agrees on Saito Hajime's actions: he went too far!

The depth of Qing Deng's friendship with the "Shiweiguan faction" goes without saying.

No matter how deep the feelings or how strong the relationship, it is always fragile in the face of "power".

The members of the "Shie-e-kan faction" are not stupid; they all know what to say and what not to say, what to do and what not to do.

In private, they could joke and play around with Qingdeng as freely as ever over trivial matters.

However, in public settings and on matters of national importance, they must recognize the gap between their own status and that of Qingdeng!
As long as they remain in the Shinsengumi, they must maintain the proper respect due to Aoto—this is an absolute imperative.

The "Shiekan faction" has always done a good job and has never done anything out of line.

Even the dim-witted Harada Sanosuke maintained a high level of sensitivity on this issue.

Until this time... Saito Hajime's "rushing forward" disrupted this tacit understanding.

Saito Hajime's repeated insubordination has already violated Seito's authority—a major taboo in all dynasties!

If it were a suspicious and cruel monarch, he would probably have ordered Saito Hajime's execution long ago.

Although Saito Hajime's taciturn personality was not very likable, his reliable and unwavering work style was always highly praised. Many people in the Shinsengumi had received his help, so he was always well-liked.

In order to "protect" Saito Hajime and prevent his relationship with Aoto from deteriorating further, everyone used their own abilities.

Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke, and others took Aoto out for drinks, using the opportunity to speak well of Saito Hajime.

Sanako and Ama tried their best to whisper sweet nothings in Aoto's ear.

Everyone really did their best, but unfortunately... Saito repeatedly "speaks his mind," completely exhausting Aoto's patience.

Things have developed to this point, and even with the strong support of many people, it's all in vain.

Not long after that "team meeting" ended, Aoto relieved the Third Division of its "stationing in Kyoto" duty and reassigned Nagakura Shinpachi's Second Division to Kyoto.

Saito Hajime was transferred back to Otsu and has been unemployed at home ever since.

That's why he was able to never miss a class at the "Ito Juku".

To merely be neglected, rather than subjected to severe punishment, was undoubtedly an extraordinary act of mercy from Qingdeng.

However, it is still heartbreaking to see two once close friends and partners deteriorate to this extent.

Kyoto has not yet returned to peace, yet the Third Division has been suddenly transferred away... Such an unusual scene could not possibly be hidden from the eyes of the world.

The outside world—especially the various factions associated with Qingdeng—sharply noticed this change and made some speculative guesses, suspecting that some shady power struggle had taken place within the Shinsengumi.

For a time, the dust settled and the noise was immense.

Those who despise Qingdeng gloat over his misfortune.

Those who love Qingdeng are filled with worry.

Because they were classmates at the "Ito Juku", Todo Heisuke became one of the people who had the most frequent contact with Saito Hajime recently.

Driven by a special sense of "mission", he tried many times to persuade Saito Hajime to mend the relationship between him and Aoto.

However, it seems that Saito Hajime is determined to stick to his own opinion and refuses to bow down to Aoto!
Thus, Todo Heisuke was at a loss... Thinking of this, he sighed deeply again.

Just then, footsteps approached from the direction of the corridor.

Heisuke Todo was so familiar with Kashitaro Ito that he could recognize him by his footsteps.

Therefore, he knew immediately that his beloved master had arrived.

He subconsciously straightened his back, cleared his mind of all distractions, and prepared to concentrate fully on the lesson.

However, at that moment, he belatedly noticed that there were two sets of footsteps approaching the "Ito Juku"!

The footsteps of the other person besides Ito Kashitaro... were also very familiar to Todo Heisuke!
Before he could remember who the other person was, he heard a "whoosh"—Ito Kashitaro pushed open the door and walked into the room unhurriedly.

Behind him followed a burly warrior.

Todo Heisuke stared in utter astonishment, his mouth agape, blinking involuntarily as if to confirm if there was something wrong with his vision:

"Huh? Director Kondo?"

The burly man who followed Ito Kashitaro into the "Ito Juku" was none other than Kondo Isami.

Kondo Isami's sudden appearance surprised everyone in the room.

Even Saito Hajime, who rarely shows any expression, revealed a rare look of surprise at this moment.

Ignoring everyone's reactions, Ito Kashitaro and Kondo Isami sat side by side in the main seats.

But Ito Kashitaro stood tall with his head held high, a rare solemn expression on his face.

"Everyone, please listen to me."

All eyes naturally focused on Ito Kashitaro, awaiting his next remarks.

"I ask you, can you still tolerate this?"

His clear and resonant voice carried throughout the venue.

"Ju Qingdeng will stop at nothing to achieve his goals!"

"To realize his personal ambitions, he arbitrarily installed an innocent prince as emperor!"

"I absolutely cannot condone such despicable behavior!"

"I can no longer tolerate his perverse actions!"

"Therefore, I have made my decision! I will leave the Shinsengumi! I will form a completely new organization! I will govern the country and bring peace to the world based on my own ideals!"

Heisuke Todo could no longer hear what Kashitaro Ito said next.

For a moment, he felt as if he were in the deep sea, surrounded by layers of water, and all the sounds of the outside world were far away, and he could not hear anything clearly.

One can only vaguely discern that Ito Kashitaro seems to be recounting Aoto's "crimes" and explaining how great his own ideals are.

When he came to his senses, he saw Ito Kashitaro stretch out his right hand towards the front and towards everyone in the room, palm up, fingers pointing upwards... This gesture seemed as if he wanted to grasp everyone present in his hand.

"All of you here are outstanding individuals whom I have carefully selected."

“Each of you has the ability to take on a hundred men.”

"I sincerely invite you all! Follow me! Support me! Join me in creating an ideal world!"

Ito Kashitaro finished speaking.

In an instant, a deathly silence enveloped the entire venue.

Most people, including Heisuke Todo, were dumbfounded, stunned by this unexpected "declaration of rebellion".

However, some people remained calm, not even flinching, as if they had expected it all along.

In this deathly silence, the first person to break the silence was Todo Heisuke.

"Master, what are you doing?"

Because of his intense emotions, his body was trembling uncontrollably, and even his voice was shaking.

"According to the Shinsengumi Law, such behavior is punishable by death!"

At this moment, the area around Ito Kashitaro was exceptionally dark due to the lack of light, and the heavy shadows cleverly concealed his face.

From Todo Heisuke's perspective, all he could see were two scarlet lips, swaying slightly like poppy petals:
"Heisuke, now that things have come to this, let's not talk about the Shinsengumi Law anymore."

As Lao Tzu said, "The people do not fear death, so why threaten them with death?"

"I have made up my mind to fight Ju Qingdeng to the death, how could I be afraid of mere laws?"

Todo Heisuke was choked.

At this moment, a loud voice suddenly rang out:

"I support Mr. Ito!"

The speaker was Takeo Hattori.

He shouted as he jumped to his feet.

His booming voice, combined with his towering physique, exuded an extraordinary sense of oppression.

He is a die-hard fan of Kashitaro Ito and one of the Shinsengumi's most skilled martial artists, proficient in jujitsu, swordsmanship, and spear fighting.

Because he keeps a low profile, he is not very famous, but his strength is beyond doubt.

Within the Shinsengumi, there are many rumors that his martial arts skills have reached the "captain level".

Following Hattori Takeo, another person stood up—Suzuki Mikisaburo, the younger brother of Ito Kashitaro—and while surveying the entire audience, he loudly proclaimed:
"I also support Professor Ito! Tachibana Aoto is nothing but a brute! Professor Ito is the leader who can put the world back on track!"

With these two leading the way, it was as if a spark had fallen into a haystack and instantly ignited a raging fire!

"Teacher Ito, I am Shinohara Yasuyuki, and I am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!"

“I’ve been fed up with Tachibana Aoto for a long time! He always acts like he’s above everyone else. Who does he think he is? Oda Nobunaga? Toyotomi Hideyoshi? What gives him the right to boss people around?”

"Rather than blindly following Tachibana Ao's lead, it's much more comfortable to serve Ito-sensei!"

The room grew increasingly noisy... More and more people stood up, joining the condemnation of Tachibana Aoto and the suddenly formed "Ito faction."

Heisuke Todo stared blankly at everything, observing it all.

In that instant, he understood many things.

Why did Ito Kashitaro establish the "Ito Juku"?

Why are all the members of the "Ito Juku" close confidants of Ito Kashitaro?

So... it was all preparation for Tachibana Aoto's rebellion!
Just as Todo Heisuke was completely overwhelmed by a flood of anger and grief, a new scene unfolded that nearly drove him to the brink of collapse—Saito Hajime silently stood up beside him.

Todo Heisuke stared blankly at Saito Hajime... In an instant, his facial expression was dominated by intense disbelief!

"Brother Saito...you...! Even you are going to betray Mr. Tachibana?!"

The moment he finished speaking, Toudou Heisuke could no longer suppress his emotions; his eyes widened to their limit, as if the corners of his eyes were about to tear apart.
Until tonight, no matter how unpleasant Saito Hajime and Aoto had been, no matter how fierce their conflict was, Todo Heisuke never imagined that Saito Hajime would betray Aoto!
Saito-san was one of Tachibana-san's earliest companions... how could they possibly have a falling out?!
Saito didn't even look at Todo Heisuke, and said indifferently:

"Heisuke, I don't hate Mr. Tachibana."

"However... a series of recent events have made me realize that Mr. Tachibana and I are not on the same path."

"Different road non-phase plan."

"It's better for everyone if we part ways sooner rather than later."

Heisuke Todo was speechless... It was unclear whether he was losing his voice due to indignation or because he was too disappointed in Saito Hajime, so he didn't want to say a single word.

Before long, 23 of the 24 students present had stood up, leaving only one person still sitting in place.

Ito Kashitaro lowered his eyelids and stared intently at Todo Heisuke, who stood out conspicuously in the crowd because he had been unwilling to get up for so long.

"Heisuke, are you unwilling to stand on my side?"

Heisuke Todo remained silent for a moment, then raised his gaze and engaged in a sharp, uncompromising stare with Kashitaro Ito.

“Master, if we were on the battlefield against the ‘Western Alliance,’ I would stand by your side without hesitation! I would fight alongside you! Until death do us part!”

"But! Betraying Mr. Tachibana... There is only one thing I cannot agree to!"

Ito Kashitaro frowned slightly:

"Heisuke, the time I have taken you as my apprentice far exceeds the time you have known Tachibana Seito."

"Is the former less important than the latter?"

Heisuke Todo shouted sternly:
"Master, this has nothing to do with the length of time! It only concerns my own sense of righteousness!"

Kashitaro Ito chuckled as if he had heard a ridiculous joke.

"'Great righteousness'? Is your 'great righteousness' to blindly obey Tachibana Seido?"

"No. My 'righteousness' is not such petty stuff."

The unexpected reply startled Ito Kashitaro.

Heisuke Todo straightened his back, his voice rising in pitch and becoming resounding:

“Master, I have no doubt about your talent.”

"If it were you, perhaps you could truly govern the country and bring peace to the world."

"However, compared to you, I'd rather believe Mr. Tachibana!"

"I firmly believe that if there is only one person in this world who can clear the world, it can only be Mr. Tachibana!"

"Even if it costs me my life, I will wholeheartedly assist Mr. Tachibana and help him become king!"

"This is... my noble cause!"

Upon hearing this, Ito Kashitaro's expression immediately changed.

To sum up Todo Heisuke's bold words just now, it all boils down to one sentence—you are not as good as Tachibana Aoto.

These kinds of comments seem to be unbearable for Ito Kashitaro!

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