National Poetry Month vs Steamscapes: Asia -- Haiku 1

The Shinsengumi, as seen in Rurouni Kenshin.

Beneath white mountains,

Sword-fanged wolves of Mibu hunt

In red lantern's light.

The Shinsengumi were a vigilante squad of pro-Shogunate samurai and commoners who policed Kyoto during the waning days of Tokugawa rule.  Beloved by many as populist underdogs and derided by others as ruthless assassins, what role might they play in a world where the shogun still rules?