At this time, slightly more than 40 high-level samurai, including SAIGO, KIRINO, Hisatake KATSURA, Shinpachi MURATA, IKEGAMI, Shinsuke BEPPU, and Jurota HENMI, lined in front of the cave where SAIGO had stayed, and started advancing for Iwasakiguchi.
このとき西郷・桐野・桂久武・村田新八・池上・別府晋介・辺見十郎太ら将士40余名は西郷が籠もっていた洞窟の前に整列し、岩崎口に進撃した。