I've made a small change to Chapter 2. It's not really worth rereading, since the change is pretty minor (an added paragraph), but I have a feeling you'll be rereading the chapters eventually anyways, to keep the timeline straight.
Also, I've changed the chapter titles to create a timeline. The two sides of the story are in chronological order, but only with that side. In other words, Natsume's POV will be moving at a different pace than Madara's. Look at the titles for more details.
Enjoy the chapters!
Chapter 3
After he'd uttered his question, the spirits suddenly converged on each other, humming whispers to each other, the contents of which he could only guess at. All he knew was that it was about him.
"I am very sorry," one of them said, upon returning. This one had a small head, but his limbs more than made up for it. His mask was a pasty white, and his body was a murky black. "When we found you, you were already there on the ground."
"Yes," another chirped in. This one looked like an old man in a kimono, but his mask, perpetually in a smile, belied his spirit origins. "Something was flying over and you fell. We saw, and we came."
"Oh, but I'm glad we did!" cried a woman with long hair that seemed to swirl around her body, "You are a strong one. You're much stronger than any of us here. We don't know your name, but we have been having much trouble lately. Will you help us?"
Somehow, those were just the words to tug at his attention. It was fishy, it was odd, and he hurt everywhere, but… "What is it?"
It was the tanuki's turn to talk. He clapped his front paws together in joy, or perhaps just to dissipate some of the nervous energy. "Humans! Horrible, dangerous humans! Oh, please, you have to do something to protect us!"
Humans? "But I'm a human myself."
The spirits all looked at each other, but then they seemed to come to another accordance silently and turned back to him. One spoke up. "The humans have been coming down to this forest and purifying us, entire clans at a time. We managed to erect a barrier that hides our auras, but they're close, so close. We are all that is left, and we are not very strong at all. Will you be willing to protect us?"
They were awfully persistent, and he could sense their urgency, but… "But I can't do anything! You should try to find someone more powerful."
"Ah, but you don't know that, do you?"
"Huh?"
A spirit with a boar's head raised a hoof, as though to try and illustrate his point in midair. "You do not even know your name. It stands to reason that you do not know your abilities as well as you think."
He conceded. The demon had a point.
A smile pulled at the spirit's face, sliding back around the tusks protruding from his mouth. "We believe you have the ability. All you need to do is learn."
"Oh, oh, I can teach him!" said the tanuki, raising his paw. "I'm really good with that stuff!"
"W-wait, but I haven't even-"
"Thank you so much! We will be safe now! Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
"We will have to hurry with preparations, but I believe you will exceed all our, and your, expectations," said the boar demon. He wasn't sure he liked the glint in the spirit's eyes, but it was already too late to voice a protest.
The chorus of cheers rang through the air, and he soon found himself surrounded by jubilant spirits and lifted into the air. Relief truly seemed to radiate from them just to have someone on their side, and their joy seeped into him such that he could even forget his pain, if only for a moment.
He wasn't too sure what he had gotten himself into, but if he could help them, perhaps they could help him, somehow. Hopefully it would provide clues onto who he was, and maybe he could find a way home.