He succeeded in entering Satsuma under Shinpachi MURATA's guidance, however, since the domain leader Hisamitsu SHIMAZU disliked ronin and Ichizo OKUBO, a member of Seichugumi Organization, also had a policy against ronin, Kuniomi was eventually forced to leave.
村田新八らの手引きで薩摩へ入ることに成功するが、国父島津久光は浪人を嫌い、精忠組の大久保一蔵も浪人とは一線を画す方針で、結局、国臣は退去させられることになった。