A/N: Guilty because I've had this chapter in my documents for a while and never got to editing it. -Shot- I'm hoping for updates to be more common so expect an update no later than a week~ This shall be my goal!

Had it been minutes, or had it been hours, time was not a concept Kaname Tanuma saw as a fact he would ponder about even though this situation might result in its dependence. Nonetheless, this was not something that the mind considered of vitality. Natsume was of vitality, the fact his life depended on this simple decision was something he would not dwell upon for days to later be hopeless, worse that everything already was, no, seemed. Determination drew onyx hues, and would not leave. Today was not the day to give up as he would have done any other day. No. Natsume had taught him not to give up, and today was not the day he would defy the self promise he had made what felt like eons ago. Natsume. This was all for Natsume. For Natsume, but perhaps...perhaps for himself as well. For Taki. For the sake of their bond, for Natsume was what kept them all in balance, all in place. The absence of such vitality would disrupt everything, and the least Kaname wanted was destruction in his life. He wished to rebuild bonds, not dissemble them.

Now was the time. Everything had been set according to Seiji Matoba. Kaname was still dumbfounded by the fact he had been accepted into such a clandestine clan as the Matoba was, but as it seemed to be the only light within the dark, he accepted without second thought. Natori had been against all odds for the young human boy to join under such circumstances, whilst Kaname found his desperation to be something to incline him to do this. He would never willingly join an exorcist clan, surely there was more than meets the eye of his easily gained membership, but here he was, and to back down now he would not. It almost seemed like a sin to do so.

With a sigh the male read over a few scrolls that the clan's servant's had provided him; scrolls with different types of ceremonies, simple, elementary practically, but the male found it difficult to keep concentration as his mind continued to wander off, wander to his friends.

Taki had promised to stay behind and watch over him. Ever since his last encounter with the blond, Kaname's mind would keep wandering to them, wondering how they were doing. Had he caused any trouble? Had anyone else noticed the drastic change in Takashi Natsume, and how would they explain once the matter was resolved, if it ever did resolve itself? No, this matter would definitely be solved, and Kaname would not stop at any time until he knew his friend was safe and sound and the yokai that withheld his spirit left his body for once. A sigh escaped his mouth mindlessly, which drew the attention of Seiji Matoba who sat a few feet away from him at his own desk, studying a few books that would later help in Natsume's situation. His eyes rose from their place within the antique books and wandered off towards Kaname who sat on the floor with unfocused eyes, not even reading the scrolls he had indicated were vital for this situation.

"Kaname."

At Seiji's sudden voice piercing the silent, still air between them, Kaname nearly squealed in surprise if he had not instantly remembered the male across from him. He had been far too concentrated on his thinking and his mind had been dragged off into another world. Now that Seiji's voice pulled him out of the dark he sighed once more, and looked up miserably. "Yes?" was his only reply, without even acknowledging the fact the male had used his first name so easily.

Seiji, on the other hand, had noticed the sudden jump the other had given out. The surprise had not missed his trail of vision and a smirk instantly tugged at the corner of his lips.

"If you truly want this to work, I suggest you learn what I gave you from heart. You do want to save Takashi, no?"

"Yes!" His response was so instant, as soon as Seiji had finished his inquiry, that it even surprised the exorcist. Another sigh. This was seriously wearing him out, but he would not give up. "I am doing my best."

"Well right now it doesn't seem as so," came the dry retort of the dark male, his visible eye giving no sings of feelings, simply blank, dull. It dazed Kaname, how his look nearly pierced him, but he quickly brought himself to his senses and concentrated on his assigned task. No apology escaped his breath, no sign of sorrow, or perplexity, or anger, he maintained his expression as blank as the clan's leader, mirroring his visage.

This time he concentrated, truly, and as much as his mind pulled on the thought of Takashi Natsume, he ignored it. He pushed his friend's face away from his mind for the first time, and read the scroll over and over again.

By the time he knew it by heart he had missed track of time. All he recalled from the single glimpse upward was that it was nighttime and Seiji had been long gone without his notice. Where he had gone, Kaname was unsure, but he needed to find him in order to receive his next task.

"Matoba?" A hand slid open the door in order to look out into the dark, narrow hallway of the temple. "I finished up the scrolls you gave me and..." he continued to speak as he stepped out of the room, expecting the male to show himself, but his voice trailed off as it was met with an empty hallway.

He didn't know what to expect, really. Seiji nor Natori ever placed a specific time they would be setting up their plan in order to extract the spirit from Natsume. In fact Natori had secluded himself in a room provided by Matoba, ordering to be left in peace as he examined some old books he had found in the Matoba clan's library. Seiji seemed to be quite friendly that day considering he'd never let a soul touch the ancient books, but he allowed both Natori and Kaname to inspect and do as they pleased with them. Kaname was still dubious about his intentions. Still he was in disbelief by the fact he had freely welcomed him into the clan, one way or another. He'd even provided a sleek dark robe to wear over his shoulder as a sign of welcoming, and as well to have the youkai servants know he was no enemy nor a threat.

With a sigh, Kaname made his way down the hall. It was strange how he did not pass by a single soul. Even the servants seemed to be out on their business, or so he presumed. Usually they'd be around, but now the temple seemed deserted. Making his way through the deep hallways, Kaname tried remembering exactly were Natori's assigned room had been. He had some difficulty making his way through the dark, but once reaching the distinctive room he knocked swiftly, thankful he had not gotten lost, and waited until someone slid the door open.

It was much more relieving when he found himself face to face with Natori. The older male looked down at him with a passive expression, wordlessly stepping aside to allow Kaname entrance. The younger male, somewhat perplexed at first, got the message and made his way into the room. It was nearly a copy of the room he had previously been in, but a few changes in decor gave it a distinctive touch. A simple desk with Natori's scattered work upon it, a futon thrown right in the middle of it, and, surprisingly, a couch. Kaname would have thought the Matoba clan to keep things quite Japaneses traditional, but seeing the couch gave a different vibe of said tradition. Nonetheless the male made his way to sit carefully at the side of the gray couch whilst Natori made his way back to his spot on a chair before the desk.

Kaname knew how aggravated Natori was. He had been against his becoming an exorcist, or novice as he had deemed himself, and Kaname wondered if he would ever get over it. He knew it was not the wisest decision he had taken at such short notice, but this clan meant a quicker ticket to saving his friend's life. He had little options here, and when his last reliable source resulted futile, he had to join the enemy. There was no wondering what Natsume would think of this. Kaname didn't want to think about what his friend would say when he came back, if. No if, but when. Pushing the thoughts away, he noticed he had been lost in thought more time than he should have, and noticed the blond exorcist watching him with curious eyes.

"So...?" he mumbled, as though expecting Kaname to speak up. Startled, his onyx eyes shot up from their deep thoughts and linked with his hazel.

"A-Ah, yes. Sorry," he stuttered uncomfortably. "Where has everyone gone?"

"There's a festival nearby, youkai related. Matoba thought it would be fun to take a trip," the male said dryly, his eyes returning to scan his diffused work vaguely.

"A-A festival?" Kaname questioned in disbelief, his eyes widening instantly. "How can they go to a festival knowing what's at stake? Knowing Natsume's life is in danger right now! I didn't sign up for this, to be scammed!"

"Tanuma, calm down."

Feet had hoisted themselves up, fists and body pressured in aggravation at such dull words. Kaname had not noticed his stance until he found Natori's voice pierce his own. His body was shaking. He could feel the anxiety build up in his throat as his mind fused on wildly. Calm down, he told himself, calm down? he questioned.

"How am I supposed to calm down?" came the sudden response, abrupt, powerful, and trembling along with his joints. He could feel it, the deep rage, it was full blown and it was breath taking. But just thinking about the situation, thinking it all through, it felt as though his world was crashing down, and only then had he opened his eyes to the full reality. "Natsume is going to die if I don't do anything about it! Don't they get it! If it's as critical as he says then why is he out partying like it's some stupid game? We don't have any time to lose!"

"Tanuma..."

He knew he had to stop. He was wasting his breath but his anger was surging up greater by the second. Kaname was not one to grow easily agitated, choosing to lean against the pacific side of situations, but this situation was turning him upside down. He was at a critical point. He was doing what he thought was right, because if he hadn't had these people he would have been in far a greater bind than he was in now. He was doing his utmost best, but now that he looked back at all he'd done, he felt like it was not enough. A dead end. He was stuck. Relying on the enemy and a guy he was never sure what to even make of other than take Natsume's word and deem him an enemy as well? Right now he felt this was his only hope, joining the enemy and turning against a friend to save him. And yet he felt the only true help was himself and Taki alone. The only ones that actually cared. He was ripping his head off, his fingers running through his hair in anxiety. There was nothing to calm him down, not even as he realized his unusual behavior. No. This was not nearly enough. He felt like a failure.

"Natori-San," he breathed once he recoiled coherent thoughts, turning his gaze the blond's way. "We need to do something right now. Natsume is-"

"Natsume will be fine," Natori retorted firmly, although his voice rang with the hollow sound of a lies and his eyes did not convince Kaname of his words. "For now..." he finished off noticing his sly lie. "We can't just go out there and act carelessly, we need a plan, Tanuma. A strategy. Now, have you learned what Matoba gave you?"

Huffing, Kaname nodded as he pulled out from his robe pocket one of the scrolls he had been studying.

"Good. But these things aren't just about knowing its theory, you need to learn its true context. How you manage to produce the spell itself." Natori signaled for Kaname to hand over the scroll, and hesitantly he did. Once in his hands the male opened it and pointed to a specific diagram etched to the scrolls paper. "You see this?"

Kaname nodded.

"I am sure you can describe this very well, but once I ask you to put it into practice you won't do any good, will you?"

As much as he hated to admit it, Natori was right. If any of them were to rely on him to do this single spell which Seiji informed was quite basic, he would fail them greatly. He would not only disappoint them all, but he would greatly disappoint himself.

Natori gave him a knowing smirk as he placed the scroll atop his lap. He then motioned Kaname to give him his hands. Kaname hesitated, uncertain of the odd request, but soon complied and stretched out his hands to Natori.

"Matoba says you have a peculiar natural energy," he spoke swiftly, inspecting Kaname's pale hands in his own as though he could see further beyond the skin. "It's impressive, actually. It's why you can perceive a youkai's presence, or even see them through shadows or from the corner of your eye. It's a gift, Tanuma. Just like Natsume's, you have a peculiar ability not all normal humans hold, and it can be improved." Finally, the exorcist released Kaname's hands who took them back and gave them an overlook as though inspecting for any signs of change, as if he could see or feel whatever Natori had noticed in them. Of course, he found nothing and placed them back at his sides.

"I'm sure you're wondering why Matoba would even be interested in someone like you, yes? He never did give you a straightforward answer to that, did he?" Natori chuckled, only to leave Kaname in a thoughtful yet impatient mood. He could already make out his own speculation, and from Natori's words he knew exactly what this was getting at. "It was that. Put simply, your natural energy."

"Did you mention it can be improved?" the question quickly emerged from Kaname's deep thinking once he processed each words spoken by the exorcist.

The male chuckled, closing his eyes as he nodded patiently. "Indeed, although it takes quite a large amount of training that which, if you continue down the path you've decided to take now, you could improve I'd say in about a few years."

"Really?" It was unbelievable. He never thought such a method existed for someone as himself, who could barely take a glimpse of passing-by youkai. He had believed he would live his life seeing the youkai from shadows and the corner of his eyes, but if he could improve...

Natori distinguished the glint of hope that was clearly visible from the deep onyx shade of Kaname's eyes and instantly he knew he had spoken carelessly. He was only giving the boy hopes, hopes that could not always be achieved. Worse, he was giving him greater reason to stick around the Matoba clan long after their situation was resolved. Although his membership was already permanent, Natori had promised himself that he would find a way to get him out of the mad clan, one way or another, and he knew Natsume, once he'd returned, would share a similar thinking to his own.

Alas, he had to nod his head despite how much he disliked the idea. He gave a fake smile to the young male and felt disgruntle at the thought this boy would someday be a full-fledged exorcist. Conviction filled Kaname whole, and this new knowledge provided a genuine grin to curve his lips.

Not all was hopeless, he believed.

…

"Oi, this way!"

Seiji Matoba was not the type of man to worry himself about others. He believed that those that fell into a deep hole would eventually fall right back out as they went in, or perhaps stay there until some fool crossed their path and lent them a hopeful hand. It was not his job to lend a helping hand to the hopeless, yet he found himself midst the situation that was Takashi Natsume and his group of friends. How he had embarked on a mission to actually help, to throw a rope down the bottomless pit he'd stumbled upon and pray he would find hold of the end. It was not, in any way, that Seiji cared for the younger male. No. It was more on terms of benefits, on the fact Natsume's power would be a waste if he were to die. Worst was the knowledge such great power rested at the hands of a ruthless youkai, merciless, that would use it for its own good, its own evil-doing. Seiji would not allow for greater chaos to befall around him. His job was, after all, to maintain balance between humans and spirits. Perhaps it was this that brought out his unusual helping hand out. As well to take this opportunity of a life time and take some advantage of the situation. He would not miss gaining something to hold against Natsume once he was himself again, and recruiting one of his precious friends into his clan was bound to have him, one way or another, on his side.

Alas, he needed to keep the young man safe even though it was not of his pleasing. Lying to the naïve kid once in a while wouldn't hurt.

Leading his serving men and youkai through the forest, Seiji kept a solid eye out for anything that required further observation. In the midst of dark it was difficult to find anything of importance, but he didn't seem to be planning on giving up. He was stubborn, in many different aspects. It was one of the qualities that defined him, and right now he would not go against his ways.

He could feel it; they all could. That presence was like no other, as though taunting, mocking the exorcist clan, waving its tail, like it knew of their plan. It was so close, enough to give the poised exorcist an uncomfortable chill. But unlike the rest, he shrugged it away. It was then Seiji knew they had yet to surpass this spirit. He could not carelessly rush into battle with this one.

The atmosphere was thick. Eyes broke through the dark in search, every other sense fully active and ready to defend.

It was close. Dreadfully close. Feet were stiff, the meeting impending. Close; each of the servants met each others eyes as a silent confirmation. They were almost at its tail.

Seiji passed a few more steps until he met face to face with a large tree. A normal tree, yet he brushed his palm against its surface, inspected it with narrowed eyes. Skilled tips felt the rough edges, around and about, until he seemed to find something. His fingers circled around a certain spot, a peculiar symbol. Slowly, carefully he did so as though to prevent it from breaking. Onyx eyes closed into further darkness. A single, silent word escaped his lips, incomprehensible to those around him, understandable to himself. Once his eyes shot back open abruptly, his focus upon the touch of his fingers, a glowing, purple spiral appeared where he touched. A few seconds and its glow ceased along with the symbol. The male sighed deeply, his hand finally falling from the spot and back to his side. He waited. The others waited. Confusion struck the atmosphere for seconds as Seiji didn't even as move. And just when one of the servants stepped up to question his master's thinking, a rush of wind burst through them and the frame of a girl came rushing into the scene. She stopped before Seiji, her breath jagged, her face pale, her body a quivering mess. Her school uniform seemed ragged, slightly torn and black from filth. Her eyes slowly rose as though to meet the same symbol she had met with over and over again, but when her eyes met the face of Seiji Matoba in its stead her heart nearly stopped. Her breath stopped. Her body froze. Her eyes, tear filled, widened, and for the first time in her life Taki was glad to see the face of this man.

"Matoba..." she breathed, dazed, her vision blurring by the second. She tried to keep conscience, to ask how he was here, what had happened, know exact details even though she had managed to figure it out by herself at some point. But she couldn't. Trying to speak resulted futile; Trying to keep focus, worse. Her body fell forth, right onto Seiji's taller frame. Luckily the exorcist was there to catch her fall, her body surprisingly light in his arms.

There seemed to me moral understanding between the group as they all stared at the young girl in Seiji's arms. He eyed her, eyed her state momentarily. Her pale face was bruised. Dry tears strained her dirty face. Her hair fell messily around her cheeks and back, and still her eyes seemed to be fighting the impending haze that came upon her. Soon she was unconscious, and Seiji expected no less. He lifted her up into his arms bridal style before he turned back to his servants to speak.

"We're going back," was his simple command before he continued walking back to the temple.