The year is 1863. It is a turbulent time in Japan, as rising anxieties about the modernizing world coincide with the decline of the shogunate, and the possibility of civil war looms. As disgruntled samurai flood into the city of Kyoto, a group of ronin warriors are recruited to maintain peace and protect the shogunate's interests: the Mibu Roshigumi, later known as the Shinsengumi!

Despite his youth and small stature, Nio begins to turn heads among the Roshigumi with his work ethic and forthright personality. But all is not well within the group--some plot against the Roshigumi for their own interests, and their resources are scant. Fortunately, a plea to the mighty daimyo of Aizu might just gain them an audience. Will the scrappy group of misfits find themselves a powerful backer, or will they be relegated to the dustbin of history?!