It all started with an invitation to a meeting of exorcists. Natsume was almost positively certain that Matoba had sent it. He intended to throw it away, but then a thought struck him. If he were to attend, perhaps someone might have more information about his grandfather. He had been chasing information about the illusive man for months now and had gained nothing. He was starting to wonder if the man had existed at all. One place he had yet to check were the exorcist circles.

He brought the idea up to Nyanko-sensei. The youkai snorted before saying that he didn't care what Natsume did. Natsume's next course of action was to reach out to Natori. Natori's first reaction was an emphatic no, Natsume shouldn't go. When Natsume asked him why, Natori said that he didn't want Natsume to be mixed up with a crowd like that. After Natsume stubbornly told the exorcists that he wanted answers. Natori relented with a sigh.

It was eventually decided that Natsume would go, but Natori would go with him to fend off any one who seemed too interested in him or made Natsume uncomfortable. Natori also warned Natsume that Matoba would most likely be there. Natsume was less than thrilled, but he knew that he couldn't always avoid Matoba. He hoped that perhaps Matoba would be gone for this meeting, or maybe he would have other things to worry about.

It turned out to be just wishful thinking. No sooner than Natori and Natsume stepped through the boundaries surrounding the great house where the meeting was going to take place than Natsume found himself face to face with an unfortunately familiar shiki. It was one of Matoba's. Nyanko-sensei hissed while Natori exorcised the shiki without a second thought.

"Won't Matoba be mad about that?" Natsume cringed.

He felt bad for Matoba's shiki. While its master was cruel, it didn't deserve to be snuffed out with the same emotion that one would spare for an insect.

"Perhaps. Serves him right," Natori shrugged.

"Won't he know that we're coming now?" Natsume frowned slightly.

"He would know anyway," Natori pointed out.

Natsume sighed. Sure enough, Matoba met them at the beginning of the series of low bridges that lead the rest of the way to the house.

"Natori. I didn't think you'd come. It's been years since you've attended a formal meeting," Mabota paused, "And you brought your apprentice. How unusual."

"I'm not his apprentice," Natsume bristled.

He might enjoy Natori's company but he didn't always approve of the actor's methods when it came to dealing with youkai.

"Then you would have no trouble being mine?" Matoba looked a little too eager.

Natsume jerked backwards at the offer.

"Take that as a no," Natori guided Natsume closer to his side.

Matoba shrugged, unbothered and not backing down. Natori continued to glared coolly at his rival. Natsume held his breath to see which one would be the first to break the stand off. It turned out to be Natori.

"Are you going to continue to hinder our passage? If so, we'll take our leave," Natori coldly informed Matoba.

Matoba sighed and shook his head.

"You lack tact as always, Shuuichi," he said with an air of authority.

With that, he turned and led them over the first low bridge. Natori looked annoyed, but he held his tongue about the clearly well worn insult. They were about halfway to the grand house when Matoba abruptly stopped in the middle of the walk way.

"You've never been here before, correct Natsume?" Matoba turned back to his companions.

"No, I've never been here," Natsume shook his head.

"What color is the kimono?" Matoba narrowed his eyes like a sly fox.

"Kimono?" Natsume blinked.

He looked at Natori. The actor was shaking his head in exasperation.

"Is this really necessary?" Natori scoffed.

"Don't tell me you're not curious," Matoba snorted, "Now, Natsume, what color is the kimono?"

"What kimono?" Natsume was feeling very lost.

"That one," Matoba pointed off to the right.

Natsume frowned. Looking in the direction that Matoba pointed, Natsume noticed the robe that Matoba must be talking about.

"Oh. Um… really dark…. Red? Blue? Grey?" Natsume guessed.

"What do you mean?" Matoba furrowed his brow.

Natsume's mouth went dry. He always hated this part. Thankfully his rescue was close at hand.

"The brat can't see color," Nyanko-sensei supplied from where he was firmly held in Natsume's arms.

Natsume wasn't sure if he was grateful of or annoyed with his guardian youkai. At Nyanko-sensei's revelation of Natsume's color-blindness, something in Matoba's face shifted towards disdain.

"Well, the color, if you could see it, indicates how much spiritual power you have," Matoba was smirking for some reason.

"Oh," Natsume still wasn't sure why that was important, "What do you see, Natori?"

"It looks bright red to me, which isn't a bad thing just so you know. The darker the color the more spiritual power you have. You probably have a fair amount since it doesn't look white," Natori smiled slightly.

"Yes, you might have more power than Natori, but that is no feat. Natori is little more than a middling exorcist. Weak blood from a weak family. Further more, it is not only color that is important. The kimono has a pattern that I alone can see. Here, in the days of lesser exorcists, this is quite the feat," Matoba droned on with a self-satisfied smile.

Natusme tuned out Matoba's voice, choosing to focus once more on the kimono. He wished he could see the color of it. He didn't doubt that it would be far more beautiful with the color. A hand was laid on his shoulder. Natsume jerked from his thoughts. He found that Natori was giving him a concerned look.

"Staring harder won't make the pattern, or the color apparently, appear for you," Matoba said, shaking his head.

"No! I was just looking at it. It is very beautiful," Natsume frantically tried to explain himself.

"I suppose," Matoba shrugged, "I have seen it often enough that it no longer holds any interest."

"But why?" Natsume couldn't fathom how something so beautiful could become mundane.

"Because, as with all things ayakashi, it does not change. It is the same that it has always been," Matoba shrugged.

"May I ask a question?" Natsume had to resist the urge to raise his hand like he was in class.

Matoba arched an eyebrow in response.

"If one were to see the pattern, is that a good thing?"

"Did you not hear anything that I just said?" Matoba scoffed, "Yes. Such a thing is rare any more."

"Then what about… never mind…." Natsume trailed off in embarrassment.

"What about what?" Natori frowned, far more willing to indulge Natsume's questions than Matoba was.

Natsume hesitated, not sure if he should really continue. He saw that not only did he have Natori's attention, Matoba was looking expectantly at him and Nyanko-sensei had stopped squirming in his arms. They all seemed interested in what he was going to say.

"I didn't know if the umbrella was important or not," Natsume felt his cheeks burn.

"What?" Matoba and Natori asked at the same time.

"You know, the open umbrella that she's holding. Am I supposed to see the pattern on that too?" Natsume mumbled.

"She? Umbrella?" Matoba spluttered.

"You know…" Natsume weakly waved a hand at what he was talking about, "The umbrella…"

Natori and Matoba were giving him a strange look. Natsume was more than a little confused. Maybe he had phrased his question wrong. Nyanko-sensei made a strange huffing noise like he was proud.

"Natsume," Natori began cautiously, "Do you see more than a kimono?"

"Yes," Natsume frowned.

"What do you see?" Natori prompted.

"Well, she's holding an umbrella with cherry blossoms on it. I'm sorry. I don't know what color it is," Natsume chewed on his cheek nervously.

"It's pink," Nyanko-sensei sighed.

Matoba looked flabbergasted. He immediately swiveled to look towards the kimono to see if he could catch sight of what Natusme was talking about. Natori looked surprised for a moment before he just shook his head.

"This is why I love you kid," he said, ruffling Natsume's hair.

Natsume wasn't sure what had caused the reaction from both exorcists.

"Did I say something wrong?" he cautiously asked.

It would not be the first time that he had spoken out of turn and created a mess because he couldn't hold his tongue.

"No, that was probably the best thing you could have said," Natori smiled brightly, "You're most likely the one only alive who can see anything more than a kimono."

Natsume wasn't sure what to do with the information. He let Natori lead him past the flabbergasted Matoba and on towards the house. Matoba still appeared to be in a state of shock and let them pass without a reaction. He gave them no further grief for the rest of the night.