Taku is the heir to his family's mountain estate and asks his father about the mist people, the ones that come to the mountain when the mists arrive.  He meets a boy named Isazu while fishing and at first doesn't care much for him.  Later he gets to know him better and they swap stories.  Isazu tells him on the mushi on the mountain and why the mist changes color for those who can see.  Taku tells him what he heard from another man about a white haired boy in another village with no memory.  When they travel back to the mountain the next year, Taku's father has passed away and the mountain waterfall has been diverted to feed the village.  Isazu tells Taku that the mushi are leaving and that they will not come again.  He also warns him to get the villagers to leave.  Soon afterwards the mountain erupts into a volcano.  Many years later Ginko arrives at the mountain village and helps with the sick kids there.  He finds Taku and tells him that he was sent by Isazu because he knew that they would be needing some help about now.