Shindō Tatewaki was the staff officer of the Meiji Government. He was the Ishin Shishi responsible for betraying and murdering the Sekihōtai and its leader Sagara Sōzō, whom he charged with spreading false information about halving the taxes of farmers, despite having been ordered to do so by the Meiji Government. Tatewaki admitted that he knew this, but didn't care one bit--as far as he was concerned, the Sekihōtai were simply pawns to be used and sacrificed in order to advance the purposes of the Ishin Shishi.