On April 14, after Kiyokawa revealed his true intention to expel foreigners and go back to Edo, Serizawa and Kondo expressed their intention to stay in Kyoto and left the group.
27日に清河が攘夷の真意を明かして江戸帰還を宣言すると、芹沢、近藤とともに京都残留を表明して離脱。