Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
Oh, it's time.
I guess I should get going.
Lying
Eyes
Silence, inspector.
This lady cannot be the criminal!
That's him! Natori Shuuichi-sama!
I have to get the pamphlet for this movie!
It's a good movie,
but it's distracting when you know someone in it.
Lady, no need to worry.
The criminal is already in my hands.
I guess it's true that nobody else can see that lizard.
Unlike me, who focuses on seeing youkai,
Natori-san has a lot of complicated things going on.
He probably... hates the youkai.
Man, that was hilarious.
That wasn't a comedy, Sensei.
That guy's always got that weird aura around him.
Oh, no. I don't have an umbrella.
I guess I could run...
Okay, Natsume. Let's eat some cake or something at that cafe.
What's wrong, Natsume?
No, I guess I just imagined it.
I thought I saw somebody I knew...
Or sensed some presence...
I guess I did imagine it.
No, look down.
One of Natori-san's paper dolls?
What's it doing here?
It's too blurry to read.
Osenzuka? 2:00 PM?
2:00 PM, huh?
I don't know if that's today, but I guess I'll go.
What?
You don't know if it was sent to you.
Sure, but... If it's an emergency,
or something happened to Natori-san,
and this was asking for help...
This is Osenzuka 1st Avenue
It's really coming down.
I guess this is Osenzuka, but...
It's kind of a secluded residential area...
I only see a lot of fancy houses.
There's no place to buy an umbrella.
I guess it wasn't for me after all.
It was probably an exorcist job—
Hey, are you okay?
You're soaked.
I saw you wandering around this area.
Are you meeting somebody here?
Or are you lost?
No, I forgot my umbrella,
so I was looking for a store, and then I got lost...
Oh, dear.
I know, my house is right there.
I've got lots of plastic umbrellas.
You can take one.
Wait...
Hurry.
We need to wipe down that Scottish Fold cat,
or it'll get a cold.
I'll get a towel,
so come in and wait.
I...
I'm back!
Mistress, you can't just make so much commotion.
Sheesh.
I'll let them wipe him down and then go home.
Somebody's strange here.
This house doesn't feel right.
Here you go.
Wipe down your kitty.
Thank you.
You have a strange presence about you, don't you?
Oh, no. Not again.
Again?
Yes.
Lately, I've been hearing this sound, like something falling on the roof.
It sounded like a rock or something.
That's right.
At first I thought it might be a bird dropping rocks,
or one of the neighborhood kids playing a trick.
But sometimes it's in the middle of the night.
It's really bothering me.
I know.
Can you hold the ladder for me?
Once the rain stops.
I'm sorry for asking for something so weird,
but I'm scared.
I need to see what's going on.
I'm worried about my family.
Then I'll go look, as thanks for that towel.
No.
I can't ask anyone else to do this.
I can't do it...
I don't like heights...
I'll do it, after all.
Sorry...
It might be the eggs of a bird called the Hiyou.
They're said to drop their eggs on the houses of rich people.
I hope it's something like that.
There's a lot of them.
I got it.
Huh?
This rock...
What is this wind?
Natsume?
Oh, no!
Sheesh...
What are you doing?
Natori-san!
Hey, it's been a while—
Sorry!
Shuuichi-san!
I'm sorry. I asked him to do it...
But I'm glad you came.
Yes, of course.
It's been a while.
Natsume,
are you okay?
Hiiragi.
You're as clumsy as ever, kid.
Urihime.
Sasago...
You know, if this cat's so useless, you should get rid of him.
What?
Were you the ones who made that wind blow?
Even if I don't like him,
I would never go that far!
Now, now...
Stop it!
You can see youkai, too?
That's why you have that strange presence.
Can you see them, too?
No, I can't.
My father could.
He was an exorcist.
But he recently lost the ability to see them, and he left the business.
That's why you came here.
Yes, since it said Osenzuka.
You came because you were worried?
Thanks.
That woman, Tsukiko-san, told me that something was going on at her place
and she wanted to talk to me about it.
I was planning on visiting today,
but my plan had been to meet somewhere else and talk to her about it.
I see.
So the rain made it to fall to earth...
Hey, where's Takuma-san?
I recommended a play for him to go see.
He hasn't really noticed what's happening.
I didn't want to hurt him,
so I planned to tell him what was going on only when I was sure.
I'm no good, huh?
Whenever something even slightly odd happens,
I worry that it might be a youkai coming to get revenge.
So I wanted you to see if it was a youkai or just my imagination.
I'm hearing weird noises,
and feeling people looking at me inside the house,
and things are going missing.
That's all, but...
So, what was on the roof?
Were they just rocks?
Well...
Unfortunately, it seems to be the work of a youkai.
The wind that attacked him, too.
A youkai of the type that hurts humans has made its way onto your property.
I see.
My father exorcised many youkai.
Even if it was to protect people,
many of them must have hated him.
Shuuichi-san, can you investigate for me?
Yes, of course.
Thank you.
I'll tell you the details inside...
Part of me wanted to learn more about the youkai from Natori-san,
but at the same time, the more I dealt with them,
the more I felt that, as the bearer of the Book of Friends,
I should stay away from exorcists.
The more important the Book of Friends was, the heavier that burden became.
Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
I'll make tea.
We will go take a look around.
Yeah, please do.
Sorry for bringing you into this.
I'll take you to the station.
Can I stay here with you?
Don't force yourself.
There's no reason for you to help an exorcist.
I think it's not because you're an exorcist,
it's because you're you, Natori-san.
I'm worried about you as a friend.
I want to help you.
And a little of it is that I want to learn about the youkai.
You're so honest, Natsume.
Honest...
If I told Natori-san the truth about the Book of Friends,
how would he react?
The Book of Friends controls many youkai,
and puts their lives in its owner's hands.
Would he smile and tell me it's a treasure, like Taki did?
Or...
Natsume?
Are you okay?
I'm sorry.
I thought I felt something evil gazing at me...
I'll make some new tea.
I'll clean up.
Oh dear, mistress...
Do you have a broom and a cloth?
Yes,
this way.
I'm sorry, Shuuichi-san...
If I could see them, I could protect my father.
Exorcists exist for people like that.
Takuma-san chose his profession because he wanted to protect people like you, I think.
Natsume, did you find that broom?
Natsume and your maid are taking a long time.
Maid?
It's just me and my dad here.
Oh, dear.
I thought it was strange that someone who could see me visited.
So you're with the exorcist?
A youkai?
I won't let anybody interfere.
Not you, or Natori.
Oh?
I've seen you somewhere...
And you're holding something, aren't you?
Are you...
You're the famous Natsume of the Book of Friends?
Natsume!
Natori-san!
The exorcist, huh?
Did you hear that?
Nope.
What are you talking about?
I'm curious.
I'm not telling you.
You failure of an exorcist.
Take this!
Scary.
Either way, you need to leave now.
I won't let anyone interfere.
Wait!
What are you going to do?
Natsume!
It's dangerous to follow her.
Natori-san.
Are you hurt?
I'm okay.
I'll tell Tsukiko-san to wait in the parlor.
Let's go back.
Yeah.
Did he really...
Did he really not hear that?
Natori-san...
Natsume, it's okay.
You always tell me exactly how you're feeling.
So, if there's something you've decided somewhere in your mind that you can't tell me,
you don't need to tell me until you're ready.
Okay...
The Book of Friends controls the lives of the youkai within it.
Just like they once said,
it's very existence should be kept concealed from humanity.
It felt to me like telling Natori-san about it, simply because of his gentle nature,
would be a betrayal of the youkai.
And for some reason...
It felt like Natori-san's gentle nature
was the reason I couldn't tell him.
Natsume-kun, Shuuichi-san, are you okay?
Were you hurt?
He's fine, Tsukiko-san.
But it seems a youkai really is inside this house.
The best option is to put up a strong barrier,
and if that doesn't work, seal it away.
Is it something that's angry at my father?
Natsume, you saw what looked like rocks with faces, right?
Yeah, they were on the roof.
I think there's a similar rock used in ritual magic.
You can carve faces into rocks, or uses the heads of stone Buddhas,
and fill them with thought energy and throw them on a roof,
and disaster will befall that house.
Natori-san!
No, I'm just saying that there are spells like that...
But didn't something seem odd about that youkai?
Yeah, you're right.
I agree.
Odd?
Tsukiko-san, you probably know more than we think, right?
Maybe I'm imagining it,
but I think I've seen that youkai before.
My dad didn't really talk about his work, so I don't know the details,
but after he stopped being able to see youkai, and quit being an exorcist,
when I walked by his room...
Please...
leave.
Please return to where you belong.
Please...
My father had always been a strong person,
but he was covering his face with his hands and whispering.
I couldn't say anything then,
but it's been bothering me.
Is that...
I was wondering, too...
When my father suddenly stopped being able to see them,
what happened to my father's familiars?
Were these carved?
Or are they statue heads?
If it's some kind of strange spell, we shouldn't touch them.
What's wrong, Hiiragi?
A foul presence is traveling around the house.
The spell is nearing completion?
Let's finish this up and head home before we have a mess on our hands.
Nothing good happens when our master gets involved with that kid.
Is that really true?
So that youkai is a former familiar, huh?
Takuma-san lost his power and can no longer perform the release ritual.
The familiar cannot be freed,
and is wandering around this house?
The fastest way for a familiar like that to be freed is...
For the holder of their contract to leave this world, right?
Most contracts end with the death of the master.
Then you think the former familiar is bringing disaster on this house
to gain its freedom?
Yeah, probably.
Is that really right?
I don't think so.
More optimism?
No.
I mean, it makes sense.
That youkai was—
Footsteps?
Hiiragi and the others?
Mine don't make those noises.
Takuma-san... Takuma Yousuke-san was a powerful exorcist.
I believe he had three familiars.
He wasn't the type to travel around with them,
so I only saw the one from before once or twice.
Three, huh?
Familiars have it rough with those contracts, huh?
Sometimes relatives or people with strong power
can inherit the contracts or make new ones,
but it's tough.
As a blood relative, I'm the only one who can release youkai from the Book of Friends, too...
You shouldn't make careless promises, should you?
What, is this hitting close to home?
No...
I'm worried about that noise.
Let's split up and find out what it is.
Right.
I don't understand this Takuma guy, though.
He's putting up powerful talismans in places that don't matter.
You okay, Sensei?
Someone as powerful as me is capable of enduring them.
But they're unpleasant, certainly.
I see.
Natori-san said that the former familiars were bringing disaster in order to break free,
but I don't think that youkai was doing so, if nothing else.
Why?
You said something seemed wrong, right?
If that was a former familiar of Takuma-san's...
Nobody else in this house could see it anymore, right?
But...
It was still acting like a maid.
Mistress, you can't just make so much commotion.
It's like she was a part of this house...
I think that youkai feels an attachment to this house.
I think she knows what's happening here.
She knows I can see them and tried to tell me something.
See us...
See us?
Next time Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
The Bound Ones
Once the spell is complete, this house is doomed!
The familiars and Tsukiko-san are
trying to protect Takuma-san.
A terrifying disaster is coming.
Natori-san!
You should live a normal life, Natsume.