This remark was taken as evidence of a 'conspiracy by the Meiji government to assassinate SAIGO' and on February 3 in the same year Naoo and his colleagues, still in their hometown, were caught by the students of Shigakko.
これが「明治政府による西郷暗殺の陰謀」の証拠とされ、同年2月3日、他の帰郷中の同僚らと共に私学校生徒に捕らえられた。