I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1114 The Aburashikoji Incident! The Siege of Ito Kashitaro! [4800]

Naohira Imuta raised his hand, gesturing for him to proceed.

"Gentlemen, please don't be so formal, please have a seat."

Ito Kashitaro and Kondo Isami sat cross-legged in front of Imuta Shohei without any hesitation.

"Mr. Kondo, before we begin our talks, please allow me to pay my highest respects to you."

Naohira Imuta straightened his back, placed his hands on his knees, and cast a solemn, admiring glance at Isami Kondo:

“Your integrity and determination in abandoning your original identity and status and resolutely breaking away from the brutal rule of the Orange Bandits are truly admirable.”

Faced with Imuta Naohira's praise, Kondo Isami remained unmoved and said calmly:
"You flatter me. I was just doing what I was supposed to do."

Naohira Imuta smiled:

"It seems that not only your integrity and determination, but also your humility is admirable."

Ito Kashitaro interjected at the opportune moment, interrupting the seemingly endless small talk:

"Imuta-kun, time is of the essence, let's get down to business quickly."

"We are here today to discuss the alliance!"

Seeing that Ito Kashitaro had gone straight to the point, Imuta Shohei didn't hesitate either, turning his gaze away from Kondo Isami and turning to Ito Kashitaro:
"Mr. Ito, we naturally welcome all ambitious individuals to join us."

“We would be even more pleased to welcome exceptional talents like yourselves.”

"only……"

With a sudden change of tone, Naohira Imuta lowered his eyelids, his eyes reflecting a detached gleam.

"Please forgive my bluntness, but your current strength is still very weak."

"In short, we have not found any value in you as allies."

"Let alone being of any use, it's uncertain whether you can even withstand Ju Qingdeng's massive retaliation."

"No matter how many faults Ju Qingdeng has, his strength cannot be denied."

“Recently, Tachibana Seido has been unusually quiet... It’s not hard to imagine that he is preparing to take revenge on you.”

At this point, Naohira Imuta paused, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face.

A moment later, the hesitation on his face turned into helplessness:

“Mr. Ito, what I’m about to say might be a bit harsh.”

"If you do not leave the Shinsengumi, but instead choose to infiltrate the Shinsengumi and act as our inside agents, you will be able to play a greater and more attractive role for us."

"Frankly speaking, your current situation is no different from that of a 'guerrilla army' spontaneously formed by outlaws."

"It has neither a strong army nor superior equipment. Its only commendable feature is its abundance of talent, including fierce generals such as Kondo Isami, Saito Hajime, and Hattori Takeo."

"To be honest, there are far too many people who want to join us nowadays, including some scoundrels who are trying to take advantage of the chaos."

"We can't let those freeloaders take over our precious resources."

"In short, only if you produce substantial results will we consider forming an alliance with you."

Imuta's words were indeed quite harsh, showing no mercy and pointing out the differences in their cooperation without any euphemism.

Ito Kashitaro had anticipated the other party's assertive attitude.

However... despite being mentally prepared, a hint of resentment flashed deep in his eyes when he heard the part about "acting as our inside man will be of greater and more attractive value to us".

He left the Shinsengumi precisely because he was no longer willing to be subordinate to Seito and wanted to prove to the world that he was far superior to Seito!

If he continued to stay in the Shinsengumi and act as an inside agent for the "Western Alliance," he would only be a dog of the "Western Alliance"... which was by no means what he wanted.

In his mind, he was on the same level as Saigo Kichinosuke, Katsura Kogoro, and others.

If we had to rank them, his status should be above everyone else's!
Saigo Kinosuke, Katsura Kogoro, Sakamoto Ryoma, Okubo Ichizo… what are these guys! How could they possibly compare to me!

Of course, none of the above could be clearly explained to Imuta Naohira.

Ito Kashitaro steadied himself slightly, showing no stage fright whatsoever.

No sooner had the other person finished speaking than he declared in a resounding voice:
"You can rest assured about the value of the alliance."

Who do you think we are?

"Before leaving the Shinsengumi, I was an assistant to the General Affairs Department, while Mr. Kondo was the director of the Metropolitan Police Bureau."

"As for the rest, such as Saito Hajime, Suzuki Mikisaburo, Hattori Takeo, they all hold important positions in the various squads of the Shinsengumi!"

"You can imagine just how much important intelligence we have!"

As Ito Kashitaro spoke, a confident smile curled at the corners of his lips:

"We are happy to share intelligence with our allies—but is that 'value' enough?"

"And how do you know I led all my comrades away from the Shinsengumi?"

"To show my sincerity, I will be frank tonight: I have not taken all my comrades away from the Shinsengumi; I have left many spies within the Shinsengumi."

"So, you still think we have no value as allies?"

“Imuta-kun, you just said that we are very weak, and that it is even a problem whether we can escape Tachibana Aoto’s massive retaliation.”

"Yes, you're absolutely right."

"It is precisely because Tachibana Seido is so powerful that we need the assistance of the 'Western Alliance' even more!"

"With the support of the 'Western Alliance,' getting rid of Tachibana Seidon's retaliation is just a trivial matter!"

Naohira Imuta listened intently, pursing his lips and remaining silent for a long time.

About half a minute later, he let out a long breath.

"Intelligence... If you are willing to share intelligence, and you have also planted many spies within the Shinsengumi, then you do indeed have considerable value as allies."

"Personally, I am already interested in forming an alliance with you."

"What a pity... such important matters are not up to me to decide."

Imuta Naohira gave a few wry smiles, then switched to a serious tone:
"Whether or not to accept you is up to Lord Saigo's decision."

"Although I am of lowly status and have no influence over the will of those above, I will do my best to offer my advice to Lord Saigo."

"That's all I can do, please forgive me."

Ito Kashitaro nodded solemnly and bowed respectfully.

"Imuta-kun, thank you for your help!"

Kondo Isami immediately bowed in greeting.

……

……

After saying goodbye to Naohira Imuta, Koshitaro Ito and Isami Kondo left the unassuming inn side by side.

As soon as they stepped out of the entrance hall, they saw a familiar figure.

Ito Kashitaro raised an eyebrow:

"Huh? Hattori-kun? What are you doing here?"

Hattori Takeo stepped forward and said in a deep, serious voice:
"Teacher Ito, the Shinsengumi has recently strengthened the defenses of Kyoto, and there are many more patrols. I was very worried about your safety, so I came here to pick you up."

Ito Koshitaro laughed dumbly:

"Hattori-kun, thank you for your hard work."

"While your attentiveness is commendable, you are too nervous."

"You think you can take me down with just one or two patrol squads from the Shinsengumi?"

Takeo Hattori shook his head:

"Mr. Ito, it's best to be careful."

Ito Kashitaro smiled again and waved his hand:
"Alright, let's go back quickly, it's terribly cold today." He said, tucking his coat in tightly, and headed east.

Kondo Isami and Hattori Takeo consciously lifted their feet to follow.

The three walked in a straight line, with Hattori Takeo leading the way carrying a lantern, Ito Kashitaro in the middle, and Kondo Isami bringing up the rear.

No one made a sound; the only sound was the soft slapping of straw sandals against the ground.

The place they were heading back to was the base that Ito Kashitaro had established in Kyoto—Kyoto Higashiyama Kodai-ji Geshin-in Temple.

In order to successfully break away from the Shinsengumi, Ito Kashitaro made every possible preparation.

Not only did they arrange the escape route from Otsu to Kyoto, but they also established this extremely well-hidden base in Kyoto long ago.

call!call!call!
The howling wind made people unconsciously quicken their pace.

Suddenly, Kondo Isami abruptly spoke up:

"...Teacher Ito, if we can get the assistance of the 'Western Alliance,' we will be even more powerful."

Ito Kashitaro nodded:
"Yes, that's right. However, it's still unknown whether the 'Western Alliance' is willing to form an alliance with us."

After a moment of silence, Kondo Isami asked again:
"What should we do if the 'Western Alliance' is unwilling to accept us?"

Ito Kashitaro turned his head and showed Kondo Isami a confident and optimistic smile:

"Then let's use the swords at our waists to carve out a place for ourselves in this chaotic world!"

"We are warriors who live by the sword and die for the sword."

"As long as we still have a sword at our waist and the strength to wield it in our hands, we have great potential!"

Ito Kashitaro wanted to say something more, but unfortunately, Hattori Takeo's stern warning interrupted him:

"Mr. Ito, watch out, someone's coming."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of chaotic footsteps came from the end of the street ahead—a Shinsengumi patrol of ten men was walking straight toward them, and their lanterns were already faintly visible.

Although Ito Kashitaro and his group were not afraid of clashing with the Shinsengumi patrols, they still wanted to avoid trouble as much as possible.

So they had to change course and turn left onto an unfamiliar street.

Because they reacted early, they easily passed by the patrol team.

Ito Kashitaro unconsciously turned his head back to look at the light blue haori that were gradually receding into the distance.

As Hattori Takeo just mentioned, the number of Shinsengumi patrols traversing the streets of Kyoto has increased significantly recently.

As for the Shinsengumi spies lurking in the city, their numbers are even more difficult to count.

The ubiquitous light blue haori forced Ito Kashitaro and his companions to hide during the day and go out at night. Every time they went out, they had to be as cautious as rats crossing the street, keeping their eyes and ears open, and any slight movement could make them tremble with fear.

Although it was frustrating, fortunately, the Shinsengumi has not yet been able to track them down.

Aoto's recent actions were entirely in line with Ito Kashitaro's expectations.

On the one hand, they claimed that "the Shinsengumi has not split," while on the other hand, they tried to find Kondo Isami and others who had defected.

The increase in Shinsengumi patrols in Kyoto is the best proof that "Aoto is in a hurry"!
It seems that Aoto already knows that Kondo Isami and the others are currently in Kyoto—a fact that doesn't surprise Ito Kashitaro.

After all, their escape route was relatively easy to trace.

Kondo Isami and Saito Hajime were both Aoto's favorites and had extraordinary reputations.

At this critical juncture when the division of the country into two factions has reached a fever pitch, these two prominent figures of the Shinsengumi have defected... If the outside world were to learn of this, it would certainly deal a severe blow to the morale of the Northern Court's army and people!

Without a doubt, this is an absolutely unbearable price for Qingdeng!

Therefore, the best course of action to minimize the negative impact of this incident is to find the traitors, Kondo Isami and Saito Hajime, before the truth is exposed, and execute them quietly, then conclude that they died of illness.

In this way, the traitors could be eliminated, and the face of the "Northern Dynasty" could be preserved, achieving two goals at once.

However, if Kondo Isami and others are not found for a long time, and when they are forced to admit that the split is real due to the overwhelming public opinion, the backlash will be extremely terrifying!
With this thought in mind, Ito Kashitaro couldn't help but feel a surge of ambition and unconsciously began to imagine the future.

Twenty days ago, he was one of Qingdeng's countless subordinates.

Now, he has established his own organization, become a leader, and is able to bargain with behemoths like the "Western Alliance"!
He has made meticulous plans for this new organization that he founded.

The first problem he needed to solve was his "political stance".

Without a steadfast and universally accepted political stance, one will lack the righteous cause to rally heroes and become a rootless duckweed.

Therefore, once the organization has stabilized, he will publicly display the banner of "guarding the tomb of the late emperor," revealing his ambition to be loyal to the court!

Guarding the tomb of the late emperor (Emperor Komei) is a moral high ground that no power can find fault with.

Therefore, Ito Kashitaro decided to name his organization "Goryo Guard".

Despite Imuta Shohei's recent gesture that "Lord Saigo might reject your alliance request, so be prepared," Ito Kashitaro was not worried at all.

Arrogantly speaking, he couldn't imagine what reason the "Southern Dynasty" would have to shut him out!
Regardless of the intelligence resources he possesses, even if it were just to annoy Qingdeng, the "Southern Dynasty" would have no choice but to ally with him!
Even if we take a step back and assume that Saigo Kichinosuke has lost his mind and actually rejects his request for an alliance, he won't panic.

Am I not able to live without the "Southern Dynasty"?

I am Ito Kashitaro!

Even without the aid of the "Southern Dynasty", I can still establish an immortal legacy!

The deeper Ito Kashitaro thought about it, the more he couldn't suppress his excitement. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, and even his steps became lighter.

Suddenly, he belatedly realized that the street scene around him looked unfamiliar.

To avoid the patrol they had just encountered, they had to take a long detour and enter a remote town.

For some reason, perhaps it was an instinctive wariness of unfamiliar surroundings, but Ito Kashitaro subconsciously asked:
"Where is this place?"

Kondo Isami replied calmly:
"These are seven paved roads."

"The oil road... I've never been here before."

Ito Kashitaro turned his gaze around, looking around... All he could see was deep darkness and eerie silence, not even the sound of insects chirping.

“…Mr. Ito, thank you.”

Kondo Isami's sudden expression of gratitude startled Ito Kashitaro.

"Hmm? Mr. Kondo, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly thanking me?"

"Thanks to your careful guidance recently, I have learned a lot."

Upon hearing this, Ito Kashitaro couldn't help but chuckle:
"Don't mention it, it's nothing to worry about. I really enjoy teaching. If you don't mind, you can always continue to learn from me later."

Kondo Isami shook his head:
"There are many more reasons why I want to thank you."

“You have praised me more than once, saying that my talent is no less than that of Mr. A Sui and Mr. Shan Nan.”

“I am very happy to be praised like this—although I am very clear that my talent is nowhere near that of Mr. Asui and Mr. Shannan.”

"I truly want to proclaim my name to the world."

"However... I still can't give up my 'school'."

Upon hearing this, Ito Kashitaro and Hattori Takeo finally noticed something was wrong. They stopped in their tracks, turned around, and stared intently at Kondo Isami with unfriendly expressions.

Almost at the same moment that Kondo Isami finished speaking—

Splash splash splash splash splash!
An incredibly noisy chorus of footsteps surged in from all directions!

Ito Kashitaro and Hattori Takeo's expressions immediately changed.

In that instant, Ito Kashitaro suddenly realized that before the sound of footsteps, the surroundings were unusually quiet!
Before they could think further, dozens of Shinsengumi members dressed in light blue haori rushed out from street corners, alleyways and other places, surrounding them completely.

"Mr. Ito, it's been a long time."

Ito Kashitaro followed the sound, then, while keeping a close eye on the other person, he forced out a roar through clenched teeth:

"Orange·Green·Deng!"

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P.S.: Thanks to yesterday's rest, Leopard is feeling much better, but still a bit listless... (Leopard tired.jpg) Going to bed early again tonight! Trying to be energetic again tomorrow! (Leopard excited.jpg)