The Vice-Commander's Page

Tetsunosuke was born in the mid 19th century, during one of the last decades of the Tokugawa shogunate as the youngest son of Ichimura Ryunnosuke and his wife in Ōgaki domain, though he grew up in Ōmi province after his father was expelled from the domain. He has an older brother named Tatsunosuke who is very protective of him. Tetsunosuke's father was born in a samurai family in a time where members of the samurai class functioned more as administrators, bureaucrats and courtiers than warriors, so he worked as a diplomat for the Shogunate and studied foreign languages (English and heavily implied Dutch as well), being one of the first Japanese who traveled to the United States where he served as a translator and earning him the title of "Peacemaker" due his pacifist and open-minded attitude. This position made him the target of the Sonnou-joui, a rebel group who opposed to Japan's contact with the foreigners after it ended it's 250-year-old isolation policy upon the arrival of the Black Ships and was displeased with the Shogun for allowing it; members of this group were mostly rounin of the Choshuu and Satsuma domains. Thus, when Tetsunosuke was 13 years old, both his parents were assassinated in front of his eyes by Yoshida Toshimarou, a Choshuu rounin, who also burnt their house to no leave evidence of the killings - Tetsunosuke wasn't noticed by him due that he was hidden in a closet, and thus was rescued by his older brother Tatsunosuke where he arrived there. However, the boy was left traumatized by the events and consumed by desire of revenge towards the killer of his parents, which made him resolute to become stronger to avenge them.

After the incident the two brothers left the province and headed to Kyoto, the capitol. There, they lived for two years in poor conditions as Tatsunosuke struggled to find a good job and feed his little brother, who developed a psychogenic dwarfism that left him with the appearance of a 13-year-old boy. Once Tetsunosuke turned 15, he chose to join the Shinsengumi with his brother, who found a job there as an accountant. However, due to his short stature the soldiers didn't took him seriously and mistook him for being much younger, which angered him. However, he caught the attention of Okita Souji, the Shinsengumi's first division captain who invited Tetsunosuke to train in the dojo with him and saw the boy's potential, yet the vice-commander, Hijikata Toshizou, refused to put a sword in the boy's hands, believing it would be a mistake to give a sword to someone so young and confused - not wanting to repeat the same mistake he made with Okita, who wielded a sword since age 9. Despite seeing the dark side of the Shinsengumi and their ruthlessness, Tetsunosuke insisted on joining the squad, and was accepted on the condition he would work as Hijikata's page, a task he initially resented.

Through struggles with his own innate compassion and his desire of revenge, Tetsunosuke formed bonds with the Shinsengumi members - mostly with Okita, who became his teacher, captains Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke, and spies Yamazaki Ayumu and Yamazaki Susumu - as well with people outside in Kyoto like Saya, a kamuro apprentice, and Kitamura Suzu, a young boy who, unknowngly for him, turned to be the page of Yoshida Toshimarou, the Choshuu rounin who killed his parents. This led him to a crisis that culminated in the Ikedaya incident, where Tetsunosuke chose to confront his fears and face Yoshida on his own, realizing that at the end, more than revenge, what he hated the most was his own cowardice and powerlessness. He managed to cut Yoshida's arm, while Okita cut his head and thus not allowing Tetsunosuke to bath his hands on blood - prompting Tetsunosuke of making a promise to Saya that he would never take a life. After this event, he was recognized as a full-fledged member of the Shinsengumi, winning Hijikata's approval.

Hot-headed and stubborn, Tetsunosuke has a strong-willed personality. At age 15 he had a short temper, was impulsive and impatient, though despite this he was still very empathetic and kind, which put him in conflict with his desire of revenge. After overcoming his fears and passing his rite of courage in the Ikedaya incident, he grew more mature with a more cheerful and patient attitude, though he still retained a temper when provoked. He also developed a strong loyalty to the Shinsengumi, whom he came to view as a second family, refusing to leave their side even after knowing they were fighting a lost war; his loyalty and self-sacrifice, while admired, became detrimental as it brought him lots of pain and sorrow over the loss of his comrades once the Boshin War broke - the most painful ones for him being those of Yamazaki and Okita - along other events such as his older brother Tatsunosuke's departure and his master Hijikata's depression and attempted suicide after Kondou's execution.

Because of that, Tetsunosuke slowly started to lose his optimism and cheerful nature, which, along with his ideal to never kill, were destroyed during the Battle of Aizu, which left him permanently traumatized and develop a cool, aloof and serious attitude, a stark contrast of his former self. Yet, he still remains sensitive over the loss of his companions, and it's implied his new personality is a coping mechanism to deal with all the loss and suffering he had to face in the war.

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c. 1849/1850 - Ichimura Tetsunosuke is born in Ōgaki Domain.
1862 - Tetsunosuke's parents are assassinated by Choshuu rounin Yoshida Toshimarou when he's 13 years old. He and his brother Tatsunosuke are the only survivors and depart to Kyoto.
1864 - The Ichimura brothers join the Shinsengumi. Tetsunosuke is 15 years old. They join in March, and in July Tetsunosuke participates in the Ikedaya incident. Three months later he meets Sakamoto Ryoma.
1865 - Tetsunosuke turns 16 years old, he already carries two swords gifted to him by Hijikata. Mourns Yamanami/Sannan Keisuke after his seppuku in February.
1866 - Tetsunosuke turns 17 and reaches his full height, looking now like a teenager instead of a child.
1867 - Age 18. The Aburano-Koji incident happens and Tetsunosuke is told of Sakamoto Ryoma's assassination. He choses to stay with the Shinsengumi.
1868 - Age 19. Boshin War breaks. Yamazaki Susumu, Kondou Isami, Harada Sanosuke and Okita Souji die through the year. Tetsunosuke's older brother, Tatsunosuke, leaves the Shinsengumi and Tetsunosuke choses to stay with Hijikata and Saitou. Eventually, he ends being left in Aizu and fights in the Battle of Aizu before joining Hijikata to North, in Ezo (Hokkaido).
1869 - Age 20. Tetsunosuke accompanies Hijikata through the battles in Ezo until his master orders him to return his belongings in Hino, sending him away before the battle of Hakodate. Hijikata dies and Tetsunosuke arrives at Hino to return Hijikata's photo, death poem and sword to his family.
1870-1872 - Age 21-23, Tetsunosuke lives for a time with Hijikata's family before departing to his hometown in Ōgaki where he reunited with his older brother Tatsunosuke one last time before the former's death.
1873 - Tetsunosuke dies at age 24 in Ōgaki.