In July 1864, at Kyoto's Ikedaya Inn, thirty members of the Shinsengumi thwarted a cell of twenty Choshu revolutionaries, potentially averting the destruction of the city. The event boosted the Shinsengumi's reputation and spurred more men to join their ranks. Led by Hijikata Toshizo, a man rumored to have been spoiled as a child, Toshizo encounters a female thief carrying a stolen purse. Inside, a note reveals details of illicit activities connected to Ito Kashitaro, confirming Toshizo's fears. This discovery creates a division within the Shinsengumi.