In bleach as Gilgamesh

Chapter 16 - No, Not There!

"I never expected Lady Yoruichi to be so engrossed in a book," remarked Tessai Tsukabishi, the former Chief of the Kidō Corps.

Kisuke Urahara fanned himself lightly, a playful tone in his voice, "Indeed, I doubt even she expected it."

As they spoke, Urahara's deep eyes observed Yoruichi Shihōin, who was intently reading at a nearby table, lost in thought.

Tessai, curious, asked, "May I inquire what book has so captivated Lady Yoruichi? If possible, I'd like to read it myself to understand its allure."

Kisuke chuckled, "You've already read it. You just weren't interested at the time."

Tessai was taken aback, instinctively asking, "Which book?"

Kisuke replied without hesitation, "The 'Epic of Gilgamesh,' which I brought back recently."

Recognition dawned on Tessai's face, followed by confusion, "The 'Epic of Gilgamesh'? As I recall, it's filled with mythical human stories. Why would Lady Yoruichi be interested in that?"

Kisuke didn't answer directly, instead echoing the sentiment, "Yes, why indeed would she be interested?"

Tessai assumed Kisuke didn't know the reason either and didn't press further. With the mystery of Yoruichi's engrossing book revealed, Tessai returned to his tasks.

After Tessai left, Kisuke took a seat in the garden, gazing at the clear blue sky, his fan gently swaying as his thoughts wandered.

Kisuke knew the reason, of course. His keen mind had already pieced it together.

Yet, he was still curious about the individual who had made such a profound impact on Yoruichi in such a short time.

Had it been possible for him to return to the Soul Society, Kisuke would have eagerly gone himself to meet the extraordinary boy named Gilgamesh.

Time flowed by.

For two whole days, Yoruichi read the "Epic of Gilgamesh" from start to finish, without missing a word.

Upon finishing, she felt a wave of fatigue, stretching her cat body with a yawn.

Kisuke approached with a tray of food, smiling as he asked, "Oh, you're done?"

Placing the food in front of her, Yoruichi began to eat heartily, replying between bites, "Yes, I've finished."

Kisuke merely smiled, not interrupting her meal.

After she had eaten her fill, Yoruichi declared, "Kisuke, I'm going back to the Soul Society. I'll return in a week."

Kisuke, having anticipated this, showed no surprise and asked, "You're going to see that boy named Gilgamesh again?"

Yoruichi nodded lightly, "Yes, I need to observe him more. There's something extraordinary about him."

"I also want to understand why he's using the name Gilgamesh and why he's building a kingdom in a place like Inuzuri."

Kisuke didn't object. Unfolding his fan, he covered the lower half of his face, his deep eyes visible, "If you can, investigate any connections he might have with Aizen. But prioritize your safety."

Yoruichi hadn't considered a link between Gilgamesh and Aizen Sōsuke before but saw the potential. Aizen had been known for his clandestine experiments, like the hollowfication experiments on Shinigami such as Shinji Hirako.

Given Gilgamesh's mysterious origins and background, it was plausible he could be one of Aizen's experiments.

Understanding the task, Yoruichi agreed, "Alright, I'll look into it."

Before Kisuke could say more, Yoruichi had already left.

Soul Society, Inuzuri, Kuro no Machi.

When Yoruichi returned, she found even more changes. Many of the old thatched houses had been replaced by Uruk-style clay and stone houses.

Accustomed to Japanese-style architecture, Yoruichi found the Uruk-style buildings exotic and disorienting, as if she had traveled back 6,000 years to the Kingdom of Uruk.

"Oh, a fully black cat, quite rare in Inuzuri," a warm, gentle voice remarked, drawing her attention.

She saw a radiant young boy with golden hair and red eyes walking toward her. For a moment, Yoruichi felt a sense of enchantment.

Before she could react, the boy picked her up. Instinctively wanting to struggle, she felt a gentle but powerful hand stroking her head.

Even though she wasn't truly a cat and disliked being touched, Yoruichi couldn't help but feel a soothing comfort and let out a purr, "Meow~"

The boy, naturally, was Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh knew the black cat was Yoruichi but wasn't sure why she was in Inuzuri.

Rukia, observing Yoruichi's contentment, suggested, "I heard that stroking a cat's belly is even more pleasant."

Gilgamesh, intrigued by this new information, instinctively turned Yoruichi over.

Yoruichi, who had been enjoying the strokes, was stunned by Rukia's suggestion. Seeing Gilgamesh's hand approaching her belly, her fur bristled, and she exclaimed, "No, not there!"

With that, she struggled free and leapt from Gilgamesh's arms. Had she been in her human form, her face would have been flushed with embarrassment.

However, since she was still a cat, her voice was male.

A female voice, uttering a delicate protest, "No, not there!" was too much even for Gilgamesh, who couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.

Renji and Rukia, on the other hand, were shocked, "The cat can talk!?"

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