Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
Oh, look.
It's going to rain, Takashi-kun.
You're right.
Those clouds are big.
Touko-san, that rock... is that a stain?
It has a pattern like a flower.
It's pretty, isn't it?
Which one?
I guess it's too far to see.
Maybe I imagined it.
It was just a shadow of the clouds.
Oh, really?
Yes.
Touko-san didn't see it.
So maybe it's a youkai's work.
We have to get home soon.
Yes, let's go.
It felt like kind of a shame.
It was very pretty.
I wanted Touko-san to see it.
It Blooms
Tomorrow
Well, Natsume? Catch anything?
Nope. You?
Not a thing.
We came all the way upstream, too.
I guess we should go home.
Huh? That's no fun.
Let's go exploring, then.
There are caves and waterfalls around here.
I guess. We haven't been here that long.
I thought I just saw something...
Either one is fine...
Nishimura, Kitamoto.
Let's go home.
I feel like a hamburger.
Let's get some food.
Me, too!
Let's go! Let's go!
How do you guys go fishing and then want to eat beef?
Let's just go.
I'm hungry all of a sudden.
They're pretty, but it's best to stay away from things you don't understand.
It's best for both sides not to get involved.
I'm back.
Welcome back, Natsume-sama.
Welcome back! Gimme more!
You must be a delinquent if you're out until sunset, Natsume.
Mid-ranks... Hinoe!
You're late, Natsume!
Catch anything?
Sensei, what are you doing?
Gimme the fish!
Natsume-sama, I'm here, too.
We heard rumors that the stonewasher is here,
so we're celebrating.
The stonewasher?
You're really ignorant, aren't you?
He's kind of like a hermit. Very important.
It's a name given to a youkai who can purify impure stones and rocks.
You have to train hard to become one, so there aren't many.
Here you go.
"Washing" actually means using a brush to draw a spell on them.
It's said to resemble a flower.
Then that was...
Natsume, did you see it?
Yes, a stone with a flower pattern.
That's lucky.
Have some celebratory sake!
I've told you I can't drink!
Celebratory sake! Celebratory sake!
Give us snacks!
Hey, no making noise!
It wasn't a bad thing.
But why do stones become impure?
Some stones draw in impure air and purify it.
But, if they take in too much, they become impure themselves.
And the stonewasher purifies them, huh?
That's kind of a wonderful story.
I'd like to see those flowers.
I found several at school, too.
Where?
I wonder if we could see them even a little.
I wish I could.
If just hearing about them made them this happy,
What would they say if they could see them?
Wow, I'm not alone anymore, am I?
I want to be with them.
I want to make them happy.
I'm sure that this is...
Huh?
It's gone.
That was the spot, right?
Yeah, the purification's finished.
So they disappear?
I was going to take a picture and send to Natori-san.
You vulgar boy.
Who knows if it would even show up?
Good point.
They said you need to train to be a stonewasher, right?
Yeah. They come from a beautiful, pure paradise.
When they finish their training, they go on a journey to wash stones.
Oh my, young man.
You're talking to a youkai? How interesting.
Scare you—
Th-That scared me!
What was that youkai?
It just attacked me out of nowhere.
Hey, Natsume, look!
A brush?
Are you the stonewasher?
Good, you're awake.
I'm sorry.
When I'm attacked, I act on instinct.
No, that's how children should be.
Um, are you...
I am Nanamaki, the stonewasher.
The stonewasher is in town after all!
Great!
Great, great, great!
Hey, you guys!
So the flowers we've seen lately are yours?
Indeed.
Child of man,
it seems you have interesting underlings.
They aren't my underlings.
That's right. If Natsume-sama gives the order, we'll do anything!
We're Natsume's Dog's Circle. We do whatever it takes, without mercy!
Stop it!
I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were so important.
Can you help me with something?
I'm a traveler and I was having trouble because I don't know this area well.
Sorry, I don't do favors for youkai.
Don't say that!
Stop it! Let me go!
Natsume-sama, this is your chance!
It's worth it to make somebody like a stonewasher owe you a favor!
Totally worth it!
Then you guys can help him!
After washing 80,000 stones, a stonewasher can return to Fujima village.
80,000?
I finished that and was able to return to my beautiful homeland,
but one day a starving youkai in a beat-up robe wandered into the village.
It seemed that something terrible had happened to it outside, and it had fled.
So I decided to let it stay for a while.
When I told it I was a stonewasher,
it became very interested and asked me to take it as a student.
It listened to my words and worked hard.
It was brusque, did not talk much, and not cute at all,
but I was alone on my long journey,
and it seemed so cute to me.
And frustratingly enough, it was good at its job.
It quickly got better and better,
and quickly became a full-fledged stonewasher.
And then it left Fujima village.
It left?
That's what stonewashers do.
But it would have white-eye birds bring letters to me,
so I had something new to look forward to.
But six months ago, the letters suddenly stopped.
The last letter was written near here.
I decided to come to see what I could learn.
So in other words, you want Natsume-sama to help you find your student?
Indeed.
But it was six months ago, right?
Hasn't it already left?
Maybe it just got sick of you and stopped writing letters...
Hinoe, Mid-ranks, can you help?
See if anybody saw flower paintings six months ago, or a traveling youkai.
I don't know if we'll find anything.
It'll be difficult.
What a pain.
It might be worth it to make me owe you a favor.
This is great!
Okay, Nanamaki-sama, have some sake and tell us more.
I'll be back tomorrow.
Thanks, guys.
Okay!
Is your student's name Hachimaki-san?
I'm back.
Welcome back, Takashi-kun, kitty.
Now wash your hands.
We're having fried shrimp tonight.
Okay.
Hey, Natsume, don't you think a fried shrimp's tail looks like a heart?
A heart? What?
You're really into it this time.
It's rare for you to send the Dog's Circle to help someone.
I'm not into it.
It just crossed my mind...
Thoughts about myself...
One day a starving youkai in a beat-up robe wandered into the village.
So I decided to let it stay for a while.
Am I going to leave this place someday?
If I was his student, I'd want to send letters to keep in touch, maybe.
Wanting to go back.
Wanting to go home.
I hope he finds it...
Somebody's crying.
I want to go back...
But I can't.
Who is that? Me?
Nanamaki-sama?
Or...
Natsume-sama!
Are you awake?
Mid-ranks!
I was totally asleep!
We've pretty much found the student.
That was fast.
You said you would consider it a double favor so everybody's really into it.
I did not.
Okay, let's go!
Now?
Everybody's together!
Go! Go!
Five, six!
Seven, eight, nine!
Let me go!
Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
Oww.
You're late, Natsume-dono.
Moustache, and Misuzu, too...
I heard it was a drinking party, I mean, a summons.
We had to come.
Sorry. Thanks.
So where's the student?
We asked around and he says he saw something.
It was six months ago when a youkai in a hood whom I didn't recognize came.
It had a brush in thin hands,
and started to draw a beautiful flower on a rock near Uratani.
That must be my student.
But then someone that looked like an exorcist appeared.
An exorcist?
Yes, but it looked like a beginner.
The exorcist started screaming about evil youkai making graffiti
on rocks and sealed it away.
Where?
The rocks in the forest around Uratani.
Uratani?
Nyanko-sensei, can you take me there?
What? Why me?
Natsume-dono, thank you.
If I know where they are, I can take care of the rest myself.
Please go home.
I've heard that, if the children of men don't rest at this hour, they get sick.
It's fine.
If it was an exorcist, it may be something that youkai can't touch.
Let's get them out of there as soon as possible.
Can you run?
No, I...
This way!
Out of the way! Out of the way!
The Dog's Circle is coming through!
My student's name is Azuma.
When we lived together, I tripped by the river and hurt my leg once.
And with it's frail arms it carried me like this.
And Azuma became a very good stonewasher.
I wish you could see it.
Its flowers are so beautiful.
Natsume, here!
This is Uratani!
Find traces left by an exorcist, or places the exorcist might have sealed someone.
Okay.
I'll search, too.
Sensei, why are you so sullen?
I'm not sullen.
But you know, even if you find them, it may be too late.
Azuma!
What do you mean, Sensei?
Calm down!
They'll survive!
What? Don't scare me.
Fool!
The stonewasher power is very delicate.
A single taint, and that power...
Being sealed by an exorcist probably tainted them.
I'm afraid that even if you break the seal,
Azuma! Azuma!
they probably won't be able to continue being a stonewasher.
Nanamaki's aware of this, obviously.
Azuma.
Then we really need to find it.
Azuma! Azuma!
I found something, Natsume!
I sense a spell from this rock.
And there's a little gap, too.
It may be a sign of something trying to come out.
Thanks, Hinoe.
It won't move.
Of course not.
It's got a spell on it.
Well, that's a problem.
I don't think we can touch it.
I will try washing the rock.
It may weaken the spell.
Then my light might be able to destroy the seal.
Thank you, Nyanko-dono.
The flower design is disappearing.
Now open, seal laid by the weak!
The seal's been broken!
Azuma!
Us, too!
Us, too! Too! Too!
Push! Push!
Push!
It's empty!
What's going on?
Was this not the spot?
No, I sense Azuma.
It made it out on its own?
But then where is it?
Why can't we see it?
Why?
It's because...
It probably can't be a stonewasher anymore.
So it hid itself.
It cannot wash the 80,000 stones again.
It cannot go back without fulfilling its duty.
And it's too ashamed to go back to the one they love.
Thank you for everything.
What will you do now?
There's no point in going home.
I'll go on a journey in search of Azuma.
I'll wash the rocks as I travel.
If it see my rocks, it may come out.
It may come after me again.
Your flowers are beautiful, after all.
The first big rock I saw, and the tiny rocks by the river with flowers on them,
were so beautiful.
River?
I haven't gone to the river.
Huh? But...
I've avoided rivers ever since I hurt my leg.
Then those flowers...
Nanamaki-sama, let's go!
What? Where?
This is indeed...
Azuma!
Come out!
Nanamaki is here for you!
Azuma!
I miss you!
I've come to see you!
Azuma!
Nanamaki-sama, I cannot go back now.
I wanted to go back to that beautiful village as a full-fledged stonewasher.
But that can't happen now.
I can't wash the stones anymore.
After...
After all you taught me!
I can't...
I'm so glad... I'm so glad...
I'm so glad I saw you again...
If you can't go back, then let's go on a journey.
If we go together, we'll find a beautiful place, I'm sure.
If you can't go back, let's find a new place to go back to.
Fujima village is said to be beautiful.
Will they find a place that can replace it?
I hope they find one someday.
Jeez... Another stonewasher gone, huh?
Yeah.
Azuma's heart must hurt deeply from not being able to fulfill its dream.
Wounds get better with some good food and sleep.
They're not you, Sensei.
I need to thank the mid-ranks somehow.
A beautiful place.
A beautiful flower.
Takashi-kun, are you studying?
Touko-san!
How pretty!
Flowers?
No, this is...
Nitai-sama
Next time Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
Shibata?
That Shibata?
It becomes a spell doll called Nitai-sama.
I wish there was more I could do.
I'm sorry, Tanuma.
Natsume!
You do know something!