Natsume Yuujin Chou 16

AshitakaxTaiyou/Transcendence Scans Use Only

Natsume Yuujinchou 16

Code
N- Natsume
K- Kids
M- Nyanko-sensei
T- Touko-san
Ki- Kishimoto
Ni- Nishikawa
C- Chizu
S- Sasafune
K- Keiichi

01
[Cover]

02
Natsume Yuujinchou
Volume 5
Midorikawa Yuki

03
[Contents]

04
Natsume Yuujinchou – A quick guide

Natsume Takashi
A lonesome boy who can see Ayakashi. He inherited his grandmother’s heirloom, the ‘Book of Friends’. His parents are dead, and he is currently in the care of his distant relatives, the Fujiwara couple. Like his grandmother he possesses unusually strong spiritual power, enough to knock down an Ayakashi with his fist.

Nyanko-Sensei
(Original Form)
Natsume’s guardian. He has taken the form of a maneki neko, and is currently living as a pet cat. His original form is a youkai called Madara. He protects Natsume in a pinch, but he often goes out drinking, and basically he’s there for Natsume in name only.

Tanuma Kaname
Natsume’s friend. He’s the son of the priest of Yahara. He’s more sensitive to the presence of youkai than normal humans.

Story
Natsume has a secret - he can see youkai. One day, he inherited a book of contracts with youkai, the ‘Book of Friends’ from his grandmother. Since then, alongside Nyanko-sensei he passes his busy days being targeted by youkai and returning their contracted names…!?

05-06
Natsume Yuujinchou
Chapter 16

07
--

08
N- Ever since I was little I would sometimes see strange things
K-There he is, it’s Natsume!
K- You reckon you can see monsters?
K- This is water we scooped from the pond at the shrine
K- It’ll purify you for sure
K- None of your relatives want to take you in; I bet you’re cursed right?
K- We’ll clear that up that for you
h/w- ahaha

09
K- Holly branches are spiky and you can use them like amulets
K- If we hit you with these I’m sure the evil spirit will leave you Natsume
K- Ah, he ran away
h/w- wait
h/w- ha, ha, ha
(next panel) ha, ha, ha
Sfx bubble- bang
N- Ow…
N- What is it?
N- I tripped on something…

10
N- Wa…
N- Ever since I was little I would sometimes see strange things
N- As it seems other people can’t see them they are most likely
N- What you would call youkai
N- WAAA
N-AAAAAAAAAAH…
M- Gyah
(next bubble just rub out the two characters on the end, it doesn’t actually have a sound)
T- Takashi-kun, breakfast –

11
M- You were having another weird dream weren’t you?
M- You were so noisy I couldn’t stand it
N- If you have complaints then sleep over there sensei
N- I went to all the trouble to make a bed for Nyanko-sensei’s private use
h/w- I tore up all the newspaper
box- Nyanko-sensei’s Private Use
M- Like I’m gonna sleep in this pseudo bird’s nest fool!!
h/w- Ah geez, don’t mess it up sensei
N- Nyanko-sensei is my self appointed guardian youkai
N- He assimilated the form of a Maneki-neko and is living with me as a pet cat
N- I was passed around a lot and the ones who’ve taken me in recently are the Fujiwara couple
T- Good morning! Look, Takashi-kun!
T- Look how many sweets I bought
T- Please take them with you for your study trip <3
N- Wow, that’s a lot

12
N- So that I don’t cause trouble for the kind people I have met in this town
N- The fact I can see ayakashi is an absolute secret
N- Ah, I can’t fit the last packet of potato chips in…
N- Alright, I’ll clean them up here
M- The way you exert your energy is stupid
N- Don’t just watch, you eat too sensei
M- Alright this will take some effort
N- It seems my deceased grandmother Reiko could also see ayakashi
N- With her overly strong spiritual power she beat many ayakashi into submission
N- She had them write their names on paper as proof they had become her subordinates and collected them
N- A book of contracts of which if their names were called they could not resist, the ‘Book of Friends’
N- I received it as an heirloom

13
N- And thus began my hectic days of being targeted by ayakashi and returning their names
M- Mu? Study trip…? Where are you going?
N- I told you yesterday
N- I’m going to an inn with my friends so I’m counting on you to mind the house
N- It’s a one night two day study trip
Ki- Woah, what’s this?
N- A surprise
Ki/Ni- Eh, a surprise!?
h/w- Ah, well it’s just overloaded with snacks
N- The inn my two friends invited me to
N- Seems to be over a big pond in a nearby mountain

14
Ni- Looks deep
Ki- It’s full of algae so if you fell in you’d drown
Ni- Scary
N- Waah!
Ni- Gyah, Natsume!?
N- Someone’s swimming…
Ni- ? Where?

15
N- Just my imagination, let’s hurry
N- … An ayakashi huh…?
Ki- Excuse me
Ni- Excuse me
N- Are they out?
Ki- We’re a bit early
Ni- Excu- oh hey, it’s open

16
Ki- …No one’s here huh, it’s huge
N- There’s a note here
Note- Welcome, please wait in the bamboo room on the first floor
Ki- That’s awfully trusting of them
Ni- Is it okay for us to just walk in here?
N- …A pond?
M- It seems like there’s a pond in the garden too, Natsume
N- You’re right, Nyanko-se –
M- All the ponds here are connected by water veins…
N- Waaaah!?

17
N- Why are you inside my bag Nyanko-sensei!?
Ni- What’s wrong?
Sfx- clatter
C- Oh I’m so sorry
C- I thought I had some time before you arrived so I went out
Ki- Please excuse us
C- Now, let’s go all the way in…
N- Is something wrong?
C- …It’s nothing
C- My name is Chizu; please enjoy your stay here

18
h/w- Huh? What’s this bit?
h/w- Ah, that’s a mystery to me as well
h/w- Alright then, so problem 3 is a mystery
h/w- Woah, this is awesome!
h/w- So I put a here like I thought
h/w- Stop it, you’ll spoil the food
h/w- Kyaa, kyaa, kyaa
N- Haa
N- These kinds of things are fun huh…
M- Hm?
N- Ah, look sensei, a carp
M- Don’t make such a fuss about a carp… mu?
N- Gyaah! The carp winked!!?
h/w- Gyah
h/w- Waah!
M- Let me go Natsume, carp with eyelids have been called the embodiment of ayakashi
h/w- I’m gonna eat it

19
M- Oh, it’s afraid of me so it ran away
N- Even ayakashi think your face is creepy
N- What was that other ayakashi?
M- It’s been said a mermaid has lived in that pond since long ago
M- It might have known you were ‘Natsume’ and come out
N- …If that’s the case
N- It could be an ayakashi aiming for the Book of Friends…

20
S-Hand it over
N- …Here we go
N- Hand what over?
S-The Book of Friends
N- I knew it…
N- This is bad
N- If it goes down here they’ll be involved…
N- Waaah!!

21
S-…Now
S-The Book of Friends
Sfx- munch
S-KYAAAAAAAAAAH
S-I’m being eaten by a tanuki!!
N- Eh!? Weak!!

22
S-…You tricked me, this is why humans are…
N- Huh? She’s cute?
S- That is why they are worth tormenting
S-Foolish boy
S-That is not something that is acceptable for a human to have
C- Natsume-kun?
C- What are you doing out here so late?
N- Okami-san… (T/N: Okami-san is the correct way to address the head lady of an inn)
N- I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep…

23
C- Dear dear, did you have a bad dream?
C- Shall I make you a warm drink?
N- …I’m fine
C- …Haha
N- What’s so funny?
C- Sorry, it’s just you have the same atmosphere as someone I’m looking for
N- Someone you’re looking for?
C- Yes, someone I can never make it up to
N- …Make it up to?
C- Yes…
C- Do you know the legend of the ‘mermaid’?

24
N- What!?
C- If you eat the flesh and blood of a mermaid you’ll become immortal, that story (T/N: This is an actual legend in Japan)
N- What…? Yes
C- Haha, what I’m about to tell you is a secret, okay?
C- When I was little, just once in this big pond I saw a mermaid
C- I was a child so it may have just been a dream, but…
C- I got some of that mermaid’s blood…
C- And fed it to someone
C- I am searching for that person
Ki- Thanks for looking after us

25
C- I had fun, thank you very much
N- And like that
N- Out study trip was at an end…
N- …The absence when we arrived was
N- I wonder if she was out looking for that person
S- Leave me the Book of Friends boy!!
N- Woah!!
N- Ah, sorry, reflex

26
N- So she followed me
N- What’s your name? Sorry, but I won’t give you the Book of Friends
S- Hmph, I have no name to give a human like you
S- A rare and beautiful mermaid such as myself…
S- Hey! Listen till the end when people are talking, you rude creature!!
S- Bwah
N- Now you mention it

27
N- Is the mermaid that Chizu-san met you?
S- Who knows? I have no obligation to tell you
N- That’s true… I guess
M- Mermaids have a particularly strong hatred for humans
M- Many of them were hunted for their blood and few now remain alive
N- …Really

28
M- What a pity
M- You actually got a chance to eat a mermaid and all
N-Haha
N- If I did that, you would never get the Book of Friends now would you?
N- …Ah
N- …Um…
N- Chizu-san…?
Sfx- pat
C- Kyaaaah!?
N- !? Woah, I’m sorry!?
C- Sorry about that
C- I heard someone resembling him had been seen here… that person…
N- Its okay…

29
N- …What kind of person was he?
C- You believe that crazy story?
h/w- Even after thinking about it properly?
N- …Yes, well
C-…My family was poor
C- I often played alone, nonchalantly, by a big pond in the heart of the mountains
C- Keiichi-san from the house next door pitied me and called me inside
C- He was around your age and very gentle, I loved him
C- But his body was weak… and one stormy night
C- His illness took a sudden turn for the worse… I heard the adults saying he probably didn’t have much time left

30
C- I remembered the rumour about a mermaid living in that pond
C- I dashed out into the storm
C- And to the pond
C- There was a mermaid with gentle eyes
C- Please, mermaid-san
C- The mermaid gave me some of that treasured blood in a small bottle
C- I bolted home as fast as I could
C- And stole into his room…

31
C- I poured the blood into his lips
C- After that I slept for three days, and when I woke up, he had been transferred to a far away hospital
C- From the fever and the shock of separation, I completely forgot about the mermaid’s blood
C- …It’s an awful story isn’t it?
C- After that I had many loves
C- And met my lifelong companion
C- When my husband passed away

32
C- When I held his hand
C- And told him I’d follow him when my time came
C- I suddenly thought
C- Was that really a dream?
C- What
C- If it actually happened?
C- He would probably still be here, unable to age or die
C- What would I do if, because of my childish goodwill
C- He has been suffering all this time…?

33
N- I wonder just how awful
N- That would be for a person?
N- I defiantly couldn’t bear it
N- Sensei sure is seeing me off a lot lately
N- For example, Reiko-san
N- And before long…
N- I think I’ll try and catch that mermaid
M- What!?
N- She might know something
M- Saying such foolish things again, I’m defiantly not gonna help you

34
N- I’ll buy you some chestnuts on the way home
M- I’m only going to catch it
N- Oi, mermaid
N- I have something to ask you, come on out
N- Oi…
M- its getting dark
N- …No good huh… let’s go home
N- You hate humans huh?
N- Just how lonesome are you here?
N- Is it hard being alone?
N- There were times when you weren’t alone right?

35
S- What do you want, boy?
N- Gotcha!
N- I need to talk to you
M- Natsume!?
S- Gyaah, let me go!!
N- I won’t let you go till you answer my question
S- Fool, how do you expect to best me in the water?
S- A powerless human such as yourself should not impose upon me
N- I don’t want to regret not doing something I could have done
N- Tell me, did you give blood to a little girl?

36
N- She is suffering because she gave that blood to someone she cares about
S- …What?
N- If you know something about how to reverse immortality…
S- Every one of you is immortality this flesh and blood that
S- It’s true that girl came here often

37
S- She played with me, never realising I, in my carp form, was actually a mermaid
S- She came again for the first time in a while and I showed her this form
S- She said she wanted blood so I gave her some especially
S- …I see so she gave it to someone else
S- And she’s hurting because she regrets it
S- With her heart which has only a short time ahead
S- How pitiful
S- Then I’ll end her suffering by eating her

38
N- Wait…
M- Tsk, she ran
N- Dammit
M- Hey, where are you going?
M-Hey, Natsume!
N- To find Chizu-san
N- …Huh, the Book of Friends feels warm…?
N- …Dammit
N- It backfired
N- Is it because

39
N- I wanted to try something for her?
N- Chizu-san
N- Is just…
C- Oniichan
C- Is it true you’re broken somewhere?
C- You’ll always be by my side right?
K- It would be so good if I could do that
K- So good

40
M- It seems like that mermaid is still inside the station
C- Ah…
C- AAAAAAAH
N- ! Chizu-san
C- Ah…
C- Aaah…
C- He
C- Keiichi-san is
N- What?
C- Exactly like he was back then…
C- I… what have I…

41
C- Keiichi-san!
N- ! Chizu-san
N- Chizu-san
N- Wait…
M- Wah, wait Natsume
N- Where is she?
N- Where is she!?
C- Keiichi-san
N- Where is she?
N- Chizu-san
N- Keiichi-san
N- Wait…

42
S- You look so pitiful and tired
C- That voice…
C- …Mermaid-san?
Sfx- thump
N- …Wait

43
N- Wait mermaid
N- Chizu-san was a child
N- She didn’t know your loneliness and pain
N- She was just a child
N- She said
N- You were a mermaid with gentle eyes…
N- …It’s responding…
N- …Is your name in the Book of Friends…?
N- …So that’s why you wanted it?
N- If it’s in there
N- If I concentrate the Book of Friends can determine which one it is…
h/w- ha

44
S- That’s right. It’s all just killing time
S- Targeting the Book of Friends
S- Having a match with Reiko
S- Giving blood to that girl, all of it is just to kill time
S- You’re Reiko’s grandson are you, you look tasty
N- Sensei!
S- ! Ugh

45
N- …I have found it
N- ‘Sasafune’
N- That is your name

46
N- I will return it to you
N- Accept it

47
N- What flowed from the Book of Friends
N- Were the mermaid’s memories…
S- Ah, on a stormy night like this
S- Even though she suddenly stopped coming for many months
S- She came again
S- I’m sure she came to play with me
S- I should try saying ‘let’s be friends’
S- I bet she’ll smile at me, unafraid
C- ‘Mermaid-san’
C- ‘Mermaid-san, please’

48
C- Give me your blood
S- Ah… I see
S- You too were aiming for that after all
S- I see…
S- So that’s what it was…
S- You looked into my heart didn’t you, Natsume
S- That’s right, I was disappointed in her
S- I wanted to bully her so I put grape juice into that small bottle
S- And she smiled, looking like she was about to cry, and thanked me
S- At that time, I was also disappointed in myself

49
S- Nothing good comes from getting involved with humans
S- But… I’m glad
S- I’m glad it happened
S- Tell her for me, Natsume
S- My… my friend
S- I’m sorry for bullying you
N- Wait Sasafune…
N- Tell her yourself
N- Chizu-san would surely…
N- Surely…
C- Natsume-kun…?

50
C- Mermaid-san…
C- Take care
N- …Did you hear her? Chizu-san

51
C- …Yes
C- A gentle voice, just like back then
N- …And
N- Since there’s no way you can become immortal from grape juice…
N- For the next few days I went to look at the station
N- And I caught the person who looked exactly like Keiichi-san from a photo she showed me
C- …I see, so it’s his grandson
N- Yes, he comes to that station sometimes on his way to cram school
N- It seems he has some things he wants to ask you about his grandfather, Chizu-san
C- What?
N- Any minute now…
N- Ah, there he is

52
N- It seems Keiichi-san passed three years ago
N- It seems…
N- He was very happy
K- Chizu-chan

53
N- Desiring to be together, wishing to be by someone’s side
N- The value of that wish being granted
N- People live, pondering this
M- But honestly, stealing the name of a heartbroken mermaid, Reiko is seriously demonic
N- Sasafune, Chizu-san said she would come again

54
M- Don’t think
M- You’ll always be able to save them, Natsume
M- There are many things humans cannot do, yet you lot forget that easily
N- …Yes, that’s true
N- I fully realise my lack of power
N- But I often heedlessly forget it
N- For example, how long am I going to keep making wishes
N- That can never be granted?