When promotion of the Shinsengumi members to Shogun's retainers was decided on July 11, 1867, SANO, together with Tsukasa IBARAKI, Juro Tomikawa and Goro NAKAMURA, protested it and tried to depart from the Shinsengumi to join the goryo-eji group, but the rule agreed upon between theShinsengumi and the goryo-eji group did not allow them to do so.
6月10日の新選組幕臣取立てに反対して御陵衛士に参加しようとするが、規定によって断られた。