"Ah you won again Tanuma!" Natsume exclaimed. "I'll never beat you at this rate."

"Haha good game. Want a rematch?" Tanuma asked, smiling widely.

"Yes let's do it!" Natsume said, starting to reset the pieces.

Just then the shrill sound of the telephone came from the hallway. "Sorry Natsume, I'll be back in a minute," Tanuma said.

Natsume smiled and finished setting up. He looked out to the garden through the open door, watching the ephemeral koi fish swim in the pond. Nyanko Sensei peeked up at him from under the table and huffed out a breath when Natsume stroked his head.

A loud splash made them turn their heads. A dark undulating shape was thrashing around in the pond, sending the fish into a panic. Natsume immediately dashed out toward the water.

"Idiot don't run towards it!" Nyanko Sensei yelled, running after the boy.

The creature's head broke up out of the water, drenching them both. A pair of yellow eyes rolled madly in their sockets as the serpentine monster slithered out from the water. With a violent hiss, it started to move towards the house.

"Stop!" Natsume shouted, drawing the snake's attention to himself. He quickly dodged a snap of sharp fangs and delivered a punch to the side of its head. To his dismay the youkai merely shook it off, angrily snapping at his arm.

A massive jaw closed around Natsume's shoulders, lifting him out of striking range. "Sensei, we have to stop it before it destroys the house," Natsume urged.

The white-furred youkai put him down on the ground several yards from the rampaging serpent. "I know. Let me handle it!" Nyanko Sensei roared.

The cat-youkai rushed the monster, swiping at it with his claws while avoiding its fangs. Natsume ran back to the house when he heard Tanuma calling. His friend was standing on the edge of the doorframe, forehead furrowed with pain.

"Natsume, is there something here?"

"Yes, it's a large water serpent. Sensei is holding it back."

"Can he handle it?"

"...I don't know. It's more powerful than the average youkai," Natsume answered, watching as Sensei wrestled with the wriggling body. "I'm going to call for help."

Natsume hesitated in pulling out the Book of Friends. He had decided to keep it a secret from his friends to keep them from getting involved in more danger from youkai. But if he didn't call for help, the snake could end up hurting Sensei and Tanuma. Making up his mind, he took out the small green book and drew a circle on the ground.

"Tanuma let me borrow this tablecloth," Natsume said and covered his head with the white fabric. "You who would protect me, come forth. Misuzu!"

A cloud of smoke wreathed the horse youkai that appeared before him. "Natsume-dono, how may I be of service?" Misuzu asked.

"Please help Sensei stop that serpent youkai!" Natsume replied.

Misuzu grinned and reached out with his long human-like arm. He caught the blue-scaled youkai and crushed it between his fingers. A tiny blue snake fell down to the ground and fled to the bushes. A red-winged youkai took off from the forest during the commotion.

"How dare you interfere in my fight horse-face?! I had it under control!" Nyanko Sensei demanded, returning to his smaller size with a poof.

Misuzu's laughter rumbled through the ground. "Natsume-dono must not have thought so since he felt the need to call me."

"Hmph! Insolent as ever," Sensei growled.

"Thank you for your help Misuzu," Natsume said with a bow, ignoring Nyanko Sensei's grumbling. "I don't know what brought it here in the first place but it was going on a rampage and I didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt."

"I also wonder how it came to be so far from its home," Misuzu replied. "It is a type of snake youkai that prefers to live in deep lakes or at sea. This mountainside would not be an attractive dwelling unless it was being pursued."

"Pursued? By another youkai?" Natsume wondered.

"Or an exorcist," replied the giant. "Someone has been sealing an unusual amount of youkai in the neighboring regions."

"...Is it Matoba?"

"I cannot say either way. These are but rumors that have been circulating recently. But I will ask my servants to investigate," Misuzu answered.

"Um, Natsume?" broke in Tanuma. "Would you thank Misuzu for me? Without him and Ponta our home might have been destroyed."

Misuzu looked at the dark-haired boy and grinned, "He is welcome although I was only fulfilling my duty to you Natsume-dono. I will take my leave. Farewell."

Coughing from the smoke that bellowed out at Misuzu's departure, Natsume relayed part of the message to Tanuma: "He says you're welcome."

Looking around at the garden, Natsume sighed, "We'd better clean up before your dad gets home."

"Yeah, thanks," Tanuma said. "By the way, how did you summon Misuzu with that book? Is it an exorcist technique?"

Nyanko Sensei narrowed his eyes from his spot in the grass.

Natsume smiled at him nervously, "Something like that. This book belonged to my grandmother. But please don't mention it to anyone."

Tanuma quickly nodded, "Of course."

The red-winged youkai flew for several miles after leaving the temple where the snake youkai had been defeated. His master would not be happy that he had let the serpent escape but at least he had interesting news to report. He had found the boy with the white cat-youkai and witnessed him use a book of uncommon power. Arriving at a house protected by barriers, the youkai landed and made his way inside.

Nyanko Sensei groused at Natsume most of the way home that evening.

"Why did you tell Tanuma about the book?!" the cat demanded. "Now humans are going to be after it too!"

"No they're not," Natsume sighed. "He's my friend and he's kept my secret about seeing youkai safe. I trust him Sensei."

"First Natori and now the priest's son. Who are you going to blab to next?" complained Nyanko Sensei.

Natsume shot his round companion an annoyed look, "It couldn't be helped in either case. I never planned to reveal the secret. Especially not to people who are precious to me. It's too dangerous to get involved with."

There was a beat or two of silence during which Nyanko Sensei watched worry wrinkle Natsume's brow. Then the orange and white youkai jumped up on the boy's shoulder and bragged in a loud voice, "Hmph, it's not too dangerous for a majestic and mighty youkai like me. I'm not leaving until I get that book."

The familiar high-pitched gloating brought a smile to Natsume's face and he gently rubbed the cat's ears.

"I want to ask Natori-san about the rumors Misuzu mentioned. If an exorcist is behind this incident, he would know."

"Who's to say the glitter-glitter man isn't the one behind it?" shot back Nyanko Sensei.

"Natori-san wouldn't put people's lives or homes at risk in his work. If it had escaped him he would have at least sent his familiars to stop it," Natsume replied confidently.

Nyanko Sensei only sighed in exasperation and started singing about eating a delicious dinner. Natsume let himself relax, listening to his friend's antics and watching the shadows slide down into the valley with the setting sun. The mystery could wait until tomorrow.