Natsume Yuujinchou
I return this to you, Amana.
Please accept it.
Natsume!
Nanatsujiya's selling some good sweets―
You gave back another name, didn't you?!
You're heavy.
Get off me, Nyanko-sensei.
Deal with it.
I'd freeze my cute little paws off.
Are you planning to go into hibernation?
You've put on a lot of fat.
What?!
I dare you to say that again.
They're pecking at a kitten!
Hey, get lost!
Are you okay?
It's bleeding...
Is it dead?
This kitten has no head!
What?
No legs or arms, either.
The ball of hair moved!
Natsume, that's a youkai!
Throw it away! Throw it away and run!
It moved! It moved!
The Little Ones
You always get involved with youkai!
I thought it was a cat.
But a youkai that's a ball of hair... that's strange.
There are some weird youkai out there.
Aren't you basically a ball of hair?
What?!
Huh?
Nyanko-sensei, something's wrong with you.
What's this? Go! Get lost!
It's kind of cute.
What? Do you like anything as long as it's cute and fluffy?
Don't be decived by looks!
Come here.
See!
Blood!
Stop it!
You'll just hurt yourself more!
Stop!
I'm not trying to hurt you.
It's okay. Just calm down!
Throw it out now, while you still can.
I said to get rid of it.
What are you going to do?
You're awake?
That hurt.
This is human medicine, so I don't know if it'll work, but...
Once you've rested here tonight, go home.
You're such a softie.
You get yourself in so much trouble.
Does it hurt?
Yeah, but it's not a bad wound.
Idiot. It's because of the poison.
Poison?
From that furry thing.
Lots of youkai aren't good for humans.
Open yourself up to them too much
and someday you'll get badly hurt.
Good morning!
Good morning.
Did he oversleep?
That's unusual.
Thanks.
Here, don't forget your lunch.
Hey, what happened to your hand?
I cut it.
Oh, do be careful.
Your bandage is falling off.
Here, that'll do it.
Thank you.
Don't let those crows get you now.
As I had encountered kindness, I wanted to be kind myself.
Bye.
Stay healthy.
I wanted to be able to do something,
just like others had done for me.
He was cute.
He followed me?
Having him at school is bad.
There's another one!
Natsume, you're lively today.
He was around here.
Hey, hairballs.
You around here? Hairball?
There you are.
What? It's Nyanko-sensei's tail?
What are you doing, idiot?
Was that your tail during class?
What are you talking about?
Another hairball?
You sure you weren't just spacing out?
Maybe...
There is another one!
What ungratefulness!
You stabbed me!
Which is the one from yesterday!
L-Look at them all!
I'm back.
Snacks!
Jeez...
They don't seem like bad youkai, but they're poisonous,
and I'd be worried if there were more of them
around the school.
What?
A thief?
A youkai after the Book of Friends?
Where is my ring?
Ring?
Give it back...
Give it back!
Natsume!
Sensei!
Give it back, thief.
Where is my ring?
Ring?
What are you talking about?
When I came here yesterday,
I dropped a very important ring.
A ring with a blue stone.
I looked, but it is not here.
Did you steal it, kid?
I don't know what you're talking about!
Or I can burn your house down,
with you in it, and search the ashes.
Wait!
I really don't know!
Did you drop it here?
I had it until I came here.
Natsume!
I'm sorry you lost it,
but it was your fault for dropping it!
Not only did you come into my room without permission,
but you're also calling me a thief!
Talk about ungrateful!
I'll look for it, so come back!
Three days.
I'll give you three days.
If you still cannot return it,
I'll find it, even if I have to burn down this whole place.
Damn it, this is humiliating!
Natsume, get this off me!
Fine.
Ow, ow, ow...
Stop it! Stop!
You're pulling my fur out!
It's not working.
Maybe it won't come off until we return the ring?
What?!
Find that ring with the blue stone, right away!
It's no good. It's nowhere to be found.
You don't suppose it happened then
Then?
When the hairball was bouncing around?
Maybe it got tangled in his hair!
It's the only possibility!
Then if we find that hairball...
Natsume Yuujinchou
So this is the youkai you're looking for?
Just so we're clear, that's really what it looks like.
If I can't find the ring he took in three days,
a youkai is going to burn my house down.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Come to Yatsuhara then.
It's dangerous here.
Dangerous! Dangerous!
I've always thought the world
of men was a difficult place for you.
Why don't you come to Yatsuhara
and live a fun life with us?
Fun!
Thank you,
but my life right now is very dear to me.
Hey, isn't that a Karu?
Hinoe? You know them?
This is it.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's a Karu.
They're legendary youkai that migrates like birds.
You saw them around here?
Yeah.
That's bad... they move in packs.
They're very hungry,
and they devour everything in their path.
Oh, my! That's scary!
I'll get rid of those wimps.
Look at you, Madara.
T-This is, well...
It's complicated!
How are you going to get rid of them
with that seal on you?
That's right.
A pig-cat without his flash of light is just
a short-legged, big-faced pig-cat!
What?!
Anyway, with Madara like that, you should stay away from them.
Maybe, but...
I'm sorry,
but I can't do this alone.
Help me with this, please.
When you're honest...
You're so creepy!
Leave it to us, Natsume!
The Group That Earns Favors from Natsume
Leave it to us! Leave us to it!
We'll help you instead of that flashless pig cat!
Don't let them fool you, Natsume!
Hinoe!
It's obvious what they're after.
Stop it!
Hairball!
Have you seen them?
Natsume, leave the rest to us.
But...
Nasty things come out in this area at night.
Okay.
Thanks.
I'm home.
Welcome back, Takashi-kun!
What were you doing out?
I was looking for Nyanko-sensei at Yatsuhara.
Your clothes are dirty.
Go to take a bath.
Okay.
I won't let her burn this house down.
But still...
How can I find such a little youkai?
Rest today.
You won't last at this rate.
Are you okay?
I'm not weak like you.
Maybe I should get a little fatter like you.
Idiot!
I'm not fat!
I'm round!
Go to sleep.
Blood!
Natsume?
It's not blood...
Berries?
What are those doing here?
These are Akazasa berries.
They're famous among youkai as an antidote for poison.
Antidote?
What's that doing here?
Was it him?
Hairball, are you here?
Maybe I missed him.
If that hairball came back, does that mean
it didn't go back to its group,
and it searched for these berries for me?
I should've given him a name.
How about Hairy?
'Cause he's a hairy ball.
No.
It's a fluffy ball, so I'll call him Fluffball.
Too obvious!
That name is entirely too obvious!
Yum.
To begin with, if you're going to name something―
Hey!
Goodnight, Sensei.
I'm still talking!
He's here!
Good...
So you were the one who brought the antidote.
Thank you.
It doesn't hurt now.
Fluffball, would you come here?
I think you have a ring tangled in your hair.
I have to give it back to its owner.
You might not want me to touch you, but I need it.
Come here, Fluffball.
Come here.
Natsume-sama!
Big trouble!
Fluffball!
Calm down, Fluffball!
Fluffball!
I need to follow him!
Natsume-sama!
He's the one with the ring!
It's no good.
It's too dark to see.
That fluffball seems to like you.
If you wait in your room, won't it come back?
No, it won't!
He came to apologize
and just ended up hurting Natsume again.
By the way, what did you want?
Oh, right.
All the little youkai have heard the rumors of the Karu,
and got scared and are coming to Yatsuhara!
They believe the rumors that they eat youkai,
and are going to chase them out.
But that little one seemed smaller than the rumor.
Since they move around all the time,
not many people know what they really look like.
According to the little youkai,
the Karu are gathering near Nanatsumori Forest.
Nanatsumori, got it!
Natsume, we're almost here.
Right!
Fluffball, are you here?
Fluffball?
It's dangerous here!
Tell your friends not to go near Yatsuhara!
The youkai are gathering!
Let's leave for now, Natsume.
Yeah, but the ring...
Fluffball!
Is that you, Fluffball?
They're heading in the opposite direction of Yatsuhara.
I guess they heard you.
Thank you, Fluffball.
Goodbye.
They're very strange youkai,
but the way they depart is beautiful.
Yeah.
Thank you, guys.
I found the ring.
If I give it to Amana―
I knew it.
Amana...
I knew it.
Good timing.
Here's your ring―
I knew it.
I knew you had it!
No, I found it just like I said.
You stole it, human.
You will suffer!
You really are ungrateful.
You're getting too cocky.
Sensei!
That's...
Natsume!
Give him back!
I'm going to crush him!
Did you go mad when you lost your treasure?
Your ring was returned and he kept his promise.
Go home and cool your head!
Natsume!
Natsume-sama!
What was that dragon?
It wasn't a dragon.
It was the Karu.
Sensei...
Can you see him?
Right there.
That's Fluffball.
He's the only one with red berry juice on his fur.
I don't know if Fluffball lead them
or if it was just the Karu being whimsical.
But, for a while,
the only thing the youkai talked about
was the beautiful dragon they'd seen.
You always go overboard.
Is the wound from the Karu okay now?
Sorry.
I need to say thanks to the others, too, somehow.
Idiot.
First, thank me.
You're my bodyguard, aren't you?
But I was surprised.
Even those little Karu could face a youkai,
like Amana, once they were together.
I guess that's just how the weak ones survive.
Yeah.
I don't have much power, and I'm trying to get stronger.
Natsume-sama!
Hey, guys.
But if I'm not afraid of sharing my heart...
Natsume-sama, here's a present for you.
If I believe I'm not alone...
It's supposedly an antidote for youkai poison.
They're called Akazasa Berries.
Antidote! Antidote!
Stand-In
Natsume Yuujinchou
Why did I answer then?
You tricked an innocent girl!
Silence! I...
You just couldn't let her be alone, could you?
I decided I would face her feelings no matter
what words it took.
Let's go see the answer with our own eyes.
Watch us next time!
Natsume Yuujinchou
Stop it! Stop it! You'll pull my hair out!