雛、孵る | Hina, Kaeru | Chapter 12
When a mother sparrow leaves her nest with one egg still unhatched Natsume brings it home with him to hatch it himself. He is soon confronted by a slender youkai who asks if he’s taken the egg since it is a special egg and the young of the creature inside is considered a delicacy with blood that will grant the drinker everlasting youth which the youkai's master Isozuki wishes to eat. Natsume lies to the youkai that he does not have it and decides to protect the egg and the unborn creature inside it.
Tropes associated with the episode:
- All Asians Wear Conical Straw Hats: Isozuki no Nezumi wears a conical straw hat.
- Creepy Changing Painting: The youkai graffiti on the Fujiwaras’ wall changes every morning and is counting down from six.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" / Race-Name Basis: Isozuki no Nezumi just means rat of Izozuki referring to his master and the fact that he’s a rat youkai, but it’s how he introduces himself.
- Giver of Lame Names: Nyanko calls the little Tatsumi “Tama” the equivalent of “Eggy”.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: Isozuki no Nezumi has some of his long grey hair over his missing eye though it does not disguise that the left side of his face is heavily scarred.
- Horned Humanoid: Little Tama has antlers, as does his larger decidedly not humanoid grown form.
- Involuntaryshapeshifting: Tama puts off transforming from his small humanoid form to his large adult form as long as he is able even though he is only meant to stay little for a few days.
- Longevity Treatment: The blood from the egg Natsume found in the nest is said to grant everlasting youth.
- Paper Talisman: Isozuki no Nezumi uses one to seal Nyanko against the wall.
- Running Gag / I Am Not Weasel: Isozuki no Nezumi cannot tell what Nyanko is supposed to be and wonders if he is a pig or tankuni.
- Snot Bubble: Nyanko has one while sleeping.
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: Isozuki no Nezumi’s remaining eye is gold.
- There Was a Door: Natsume picks up Tama and flees out the window while Isozuki no Nezumi is distracted by arguing with Nyanko about what Nyanko is.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Isozuki no Nezumi shifts between his rat and humanoid forms with ease and Madara transforms into his true form to protect Natsume after spending the rest of the episode as Nyanko.
