It is said that Kondo, Serizawa, Negishi had already organized their respective factions, but Tonouchi and Iesato didn't have any factions (probably, they never imagined that so many warriors would be purged in the future) as they became the top warriors who had the confidence of Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), and were close to Negishi.
近藤、芹沢、根岸らは、既にそれぞれ派閥を形成していたが、殿内と家里は、江戸幕府の信用で筆頭格になったので、派閥らしいものはなく（のちの粛清の嵐など想像もつかなかったことだろう。）、旧知の根岸らと近かったとされている。