A group of mask wearing monkey like youkai threaten Natsume and try to steal the Book of Friends from him, after he is rescued by Madara the same youkai attack him at school. Natsume leaves school to lead them away from the other students they capture him and bring him to the Eastern Forest where they live as elsewhere Misuzu is warning Nyanko about that part of the forest saying to steer clear of it. Natsume escapes from the monkey youkai only stumble upon a house owned by the Matoba clan which he and Nyanko quickly realize is difficult to escape from.
Tropes associate with this episode:
- Bond Creatures: Matoba Seiji's shiki make an appearance hunting down the youkai wearing the monkey masks.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Natsume and Nyanko-sensei trying to escape and Natsume being approached and recognized by Matoba.
- Distress Ball: Natsume intentionally has youkai that he has already needed help with follow him while he is without his bodyguard or any of his youkai friends.
- Distressed Dude: While Natsume's spiritual power usually allows him to overcome youkai there are a lot of the monkeys and even after he is saved from them by Nyanko-sensei he ends up captured twice in this episode. The second time by exorcists which makes his physical weakness a greater disadvantage for him than it is normally.
- Kappa: The local foolish kappa who Natsume often finds dried out in need of water makes an appearance.
- Multi-Part Episode: Unlike the normal episodes the story for this one is continued in the next episode: The Eastern Forest.
- Youkai: There are a number of them in the episode.
