HSDK started great but then mangaka mistook fanservice for storytelling... I mean fanservice was just a sprinkling here and there but later on it became prevalent to an off putting degree. I don´t see anything like that in Gintama, yet. I understand concerns about rushing things. Sorachi´s pace is very fast for people used to something like One Piece pacing, but it still is not as fast as let´s say Toriko. I think a lot of readers got lulled by some false sense of safety that Sorachi is trying to destroy. Gintama is prevalently seen as a gag manga with sparse serious arcs, yet now it might be exactly the opposite. This juxtaposition is probably the cause of your feeling of "rushed". It is also enhanced by Sorachi´s approach to the secondary group (Takasugi, Kamui et al.). I think Sorachi realizes that he must move plot to a point of pre-Assassination state of stability, where he can give us some respite from this action. He cannot certainly do that by spending another 20 or so chapters on TaKamui so he opted for quick summary. From the storytelling point of view this is not what you´d call rushing, more like a selective beneficial acceleration.
Hey now let´s not be pessimistic over here. Shinpachi needs to get laid and get badass, MADAO has to get a job and get together with his wife and we also need Sakamoto stalking Oryou-chan antics, since Kondou graduated from Stalker Comprehensive (Sacchan is repeating so she will get Sakamoto as her kouhai and maybe even Yamazaki if he is up to it).
Well in real life Shinpachi was a member of the Shinsengumi so personally I expect him to join them.
KATSURA JA NAI,ZURA DA!!!Katsura will finally show his violent side, I'm so hyped for next chapters
He's as much of a monster as Gintoki
