I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Instead of mocking Harada Sanosuke, he spoke very seriously and loudly:

"No, Sanosuke, I want to hear your opinion."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.

Harada Sanosuke scratched his head awkwardly.

"Uh, Mr. Yamanami, are you serious?"

Yamanami Keisuke nodded solemnly:

"Of course I'm serious. Although you don't have quick wit, you have a wild intuition, which is a unique insight on another level. So your opinion might give us some inspiration."

Nagakura Shinpachi and Inoue Genzaburo both looked surprised.

Although they dared not believe that Harada Sanosuke could have any insight, they still looked at him expectantly, trusting in Yamanami Keisuke.

Harada Sanosuke blinked hard, and after confirming that Yamanami Keisuke was not joking, he chuckled a few times.

"Mr. Shannan, I didn't expect you to think so highly of me."

"Since you've put it this way, then I'll share my humble opinion."

He cleared his throat, then said with a serious expression:

"To be honest, I have no objection. I think it's fine as long as we maintain the status quo."

"I'm not very bright, so I don't think too much about things that give me a headache."

"I delegate all the tasks that require thinking to Mr. Ju; all I need to do is follow his orders."

"Therefore, I trust Mr. Tachibana wholeheartedly."

"If I disagree with Mr. Tachibana, it is absolutely my problem."

"Since Mr. Tachibana is unwilling to talk about Mr. Kondo and the others' 'disappearance,' I think he must have some plans."

"Or rather... he had already taken the corresponding action, but for some reason, he couldn't explain it to them in detail."

"I think it's best if we don't act rashly before receiving instructions from Mr. Tachibana."

At this point, Harada Sanosuke paused, then broke into a hearty smile:

Has Mr. Tachibana ever let us down?

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment… Yamanami Keisuke was the first to react, giving a wry smile:

"Don't act rashly... That's true. For now, we can only wait and see."

Nagakura Shinpachi and Inoue Genzaburo looked at each other again, and smiled wryly in accompaniment.

Although Sanosuke Harada didn't offer anything particularly innovative, it must be admitted that his suggestion was indeed the best solution at present.

Should we wait for Qingdeng's instructions, or act on our own initiative based on our own ideas?

For the "Shiekan faction," this kind of question doesn't even need much thought! Just blindly choose the former!

Just as Yamanami Keisuke finished speaking—

Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap...

Suddenly, the sound of calm and elegant footsteps rang out.

Such distinctive footsteps made it impossible to mistake them.

Everyone in the courtyard immediately straightened their posture and faced the direction from which the footsteps came—and saw Sanako rushing towards them in a hurry.

"Gentlemen, so you've been here all along."

After quickly glancing at everyone, she said directly and seriously:

"Our lord is summoning us. Please proceed immediately to the military council chamber at the Ju residence."

The question of who "Lord Sanako" refers to is self-evident.

However, being so surprised, Harada Sanosuke instinctively asked in return:

"My lord... Mr. Tachibana?"

Sanako Kanji:

"Do we have another lord?"

……

……

Late at night on November 18, 1865 (the first year of the Kuangtian era/Meiji era).

Kyoto, somewhere—

On the dark street where no one should have been, two figures, one tall and one burly, were seen striding northwards—these two were none other than Ito Kashitaro and Kondo Isami.

While moving quickly, they remained on high alert, listening intently and carefully observing their surroundings.

Suddenly, Ito Kashitaro warned Kondo Isami:

"Watch out, someone's coming."

As he spoke, he darted into a dark alley nearby, with Kondo Isami close behind.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump... Accompanied by loud stomping sounds, a patrol of the Shinsengumi crossed the street straight ahead, unaware of the two people hiding in the alley.

After confirming that the patrol had gone far away, Ito Kashitaro and Kondo Isami returned to the main road and continued towards their destination.

In no time, they slipped into an unremarkable-looking inn like shadows.

After passing through the entrance hall, moving to the second floor, traversing the corridor, and finally entering a certain room.

In the dimly lit room with only one candle lit, a burly man was already waiting.

Seeing that Ito Kashitaro and Kondo Isami had arrived, the burly man scolded them impatiently:

"Ito-kun, you're late."

Ito Kashitaro smiled and apologized in a humble yet respectful manner:

"Sorry, we just encountered a Shinsengumi patrol, so we were a little late."

The burly man didn't delve into the issue of being late, but instead turned to look at Kondo Isami:

"Is this Kondo Isami?"

Kondo Isami nodded in acknowledgment:

"Nice to meet you, I am Kondo Isami."

The burly man smiled slightly:

"I am Imuda Naohira, the deputy commander of the Satsuma Imperial Thieves. Nice to meet you!"

*******

*******

Leopard's little nephew is sick again, and Leopard seems to have caught it from him. He's been listless all day... and can't seem to muster any energy... (Leopard looks uncomfortable.jpg)

Once he's fully recovered, Leopard will be back to his savage self! (Leopard Hi.jpg)

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."