Tau had to call in favors.

Yet for a strange reason she found Gojo staying oddly close to her as she worked out the arrangements for her family. The sad thing is, all the family shrines and graves have also been destroyed by the curses. "Someone must have really targeted your family…"

She jumped as she was sitting in her room, reading over the information. She was taken to the Shaman institution in Tokyo for safekeeping. It happened to be where Gojo was learning. "Can you at least knock before doing that!" she demanded.

He sarcastically knocked on the door. "Someone must have really targeted your family… this attack is rather unprecedented to say the least. Someone powerful too…"

She was silent to the matter. Gojo drifted farther into her room before looking over the papers. "Tibet huh? You going to go?"

She nodded. "My dad was going to take the family, so I am going to go and see what had him so excited."

"You're only twelve…" he said offhandedly.

"And I think someone has told you something like that before… did you ever listen?"

He smiled to her. "Nope!" he said proudly. His hand then went on her head. "Do what you need to do, but put your power to good use… perhaps you ought to brush up a little yourself before going. You're family was hard to track down you know."

She nodded, despite training, she hasn't really used her curse ability yet. And there was two of them to master.

#

It took time, and yet Gojo seemed willing to help her. He was rather good at teaching the basics as well as helping her understand her own abilities. "Why are you doing this?" she asked of him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, something to do?" he said and laughed. "You know for someone as young as you, you have no idea about the world around you!"

She glared at him. "I want to know enough to survive and see what my family was going to find…" she muttered.

"Then you need to be stronger and more knowledgeable!"

He took his time with her as she perfected her curse ability, the two worked hand in hand. And soon, he gave her the nod to go on ahead to her adventure. But, before he did, Gojo made her swear one thing. "Should you find what you are looking for, you will contact me. Won't you?" he asked.

Tau just wanted to go, but she agreed. He gave her a phone and it was only to be used to call him, no one else. "When that day comes, you dial the only number on this, understood?"

Once again, she nodded.

"Thanks… for everything," she whispered.

He gave a playful salute. "I suggest you go before the elders come for you. When they got word that a single Tooru survived, they started to gather their legions…"

Tau nodded in agreement. "We will meet again,"

"I look forward to it,"

#

She took the trip alone.

Along the way, she made discoveries and read articles her parents kept and some they even wrote. It was on curse energy and abilities, but not only that, there were other sources as well. "What did they mean other sources?" she wondered aloud.

It was like the concept of Yin and Yang, light in the dark and dark in the light. Curse energy is usually dark, light energy… divine energy?" She read a little more into it. "Divine energy can come from the earth itself and the spirits of the world. There are those who fight curse spirits themselves to keep balance, there are those who guide humans and others alike on their paths. The divine energy can be powerful according to the source. One can also call upon it to guide them…"

She did remember her mother telling her a story from when she was a little girl. She got lost in the woods one day and couldn't get home. She was scared since the curses were finding her left and right but she had no means of fighting back. She was told when she needed help to call upon the spirits. "I did what my mother said, and a lavishing fox appeared before me. I was kind to it and gave what little I had. It was enough to be guided out of the forest."

The fox spirit, her mother had adored foxes. Tau's favorite plush toy growing up was a fox ironically enough. Perhaps it would be worth a try…

When the plane landed in Tibet. Tau stepped off, but found there were people waiting for her. They held up her family name and kept vigil for her appearance.

Her family ability kicked in.

From her mother's side, the ability is called conceal. She makes herself rather invisible to those around her, hiding her aura, power and even scent. She doesn't know the extent of it though, if it makes her invisible or not. But with the way she was walked past people, she could only assume it has some sort of cloaking ability.

She walked past them unnoticed, until she heard one speak. "Is she on this flight. Her uncle was certain they would have come sooner, until the attack happened… but did she brave the trip?"

"It's a lot for 12 year old to do!"

"Still, what her uncle found could be the key…"

Taking a closer look, she found they were her uncle's assistance. Off grid jujutsu users, they don't answer to the elders nor to requests unless it appeals to them.

She revealed herself. "You speak of my uncle," she said gently.

The men were startled. "Damn it, that's his niece for ya!" one laughed.

The biggest man out of all of them took a knee and introduced himself. "I'm Kai. I was your Uncle's assistant, it's a pleasure to meet you and sorry for your loss," he said gently.

She nodded to him. "What did my uncle find?" she asked.

"Not here, we will speak of it back at his facilities," Kai whispered.

#

She never knew her uncle was a monk.

He has lived his days in a temple in Tibet, yet at the same time researching various things. Other sorcerers had come to him for guidance like a guru. Many stayed to see what else they could learn from him. Kai was one of his top disciples to say the least and was the one to explain everything to her. "The monks here do not use curse energy, although capable of repelling evil curses, they do not fight like other jujutsu sorcerers." He explained.

"Why was my uncle here of all places?" she asked.

Kai kept silent until he took her to a very large room full of documents. He closed the door behind them and then turned his full attention to Yua. "You come from a very strange and yet strong family." He first stated. "As such, I have vowed to your uncle to do everything possible to protect you, since you are now the last key to it all."

He led her to a desk and a map of the Himalayan Mountains. "He believes he found something amazing within one of the mountains here. This one in particular." He explained. "This mountain used to be used as a salt mine, but was abandoned years ago. They claim curses reek havoc within them, which he found odd. Salt, especially Himalayan salt, can act as a repellent to curses… why are they suddenly being drawn in?" he questioned.

She nodded in agreement, that was strange. "So something has to be in those mines then." She muttered. "But what?"

"Two things," Kai explained. "One, a possible Sukuna's finger." He said in a determined voice. "One to my knowledge and according to the monks, was left behind in the mines about fifty years ago by an archeologist. He thought it was part of a mummy until he got attacked. He was killed within, yet a sorcerer found the finger and placed a seal upon it to keep it at bay. It's been dormant ever since… until recently. But this is still but a rumor, there is no truth to this as of yet. But if it is, the seal is probably giving way, as well, we noticed activity within the mountains recently. We're not the only ones who have taken interest…"

She froze to the news. "There are people AFTER Sukuna's finger?" she asked.

"Sukuna has a cult, this cult will do ANYTHING to bring back their master and god, so yes. The problem is, they go in but find nothing. Yet they are still there. If we make any attempts to enter, surely, a fight will break out and many people will die."

She gulped her pride a little. At the age of twelve, adult matters were already dropping into her lap. "There's no choice but to go in, we can't if they are there…" she whispered.

"Nor are we going in until we know for sure. But there is also a second reason why we need to go into the mines, this is what your uncle wanted. He wasn't interested in the finger."

This had her all ears. "Okay…" she said. "What did he think was in there?"

Kai sighed aloud. "How much do you know about curses and spirits?" he asked.

She shrugged. "A little, not a lot. Mom and dad spoke a little of it, but I didn't quite understand…"

"That's fine, it's hard for me to explain it too… It's just how when you see a curse spirit, it's around right? I'm not a curse spirit user… I go by the divine spirit." He explained. "I see spirits, like you see curse, but can't see the other way around."

"Spirits…" she whispered.

"Now, this is why I worked with your uncle so well, you see, part of his ability, from your father's side of the family, their specialty is called 'Echo'" he explained.

"Dad never mentioned that or taught me…"

"He didn't want to until you were experienced enough. Echo can be powerful, another reason why the jujutsu sorcerers wanted your family on their side. You can channel the energy of others for a short session. Depending on how much you use it." His hand gently reached out to her, "Touch my hand," he explained.

She hesitated but then reached out and touched. Her body pulsed for a moment, then… she saw things in the air, floating about, some moved across the ground and yet. They kept a respectable distance. "Wait, what…"

"These are spirits of the divine energy." He said gently. "This is what I see,"

She let go of his hand, when she did all that she saw vanished in a matter of a minute. "Those… are real…" she whispered.

He nodded. "Spirits are playful and can be tricky. But most help you when asked. This power we need to work on with you, you need this to develop so when we can go into the mines, we are at the ready."

Yua was stunned, but agreed. "Why do I need this ability?" she asked.

Kai merely smiled. "I don't know yet, but your uncle was training on this every single day with me. He was determined to perfect it, claiming it would be the only way to discover what was inside the mines."

If this is what her uncle discovered, and was determined to make happen, Yua nodded in agreement. "Whatever training he was doing with you. Let's continue!" she stated.

Kai smiled and nodded. "Let's."