(Ryoto's pov)

It was time for me to return. About a year has passed since I was kidnapped. I say it because it was hard to keep time while night prevailed 24/7, but with my mathematical skills, I was able to do it with a small margin of error.

During my time in Hueco Mundo, I wasn't just waiting for this year to pass. I was preparing. While this situation wasn't ideal, I needed to make the best out of it, so I was planning and I was training. Here, I could practice some of my more destructive and noticeable Hollow abilities, and while I didn't master everything, I did everything I could and gained a lot from it.

But alas, it was time to say goodbye to the allies I made in the last year.

Not going to lie, I'm going to miss them, and I can't even visit them unless I want Sereitei on my ass, mostly Central 46, but in the end, it's going to be most of Sereitei.

"Well, it's time for me to go. Remember what I told you and stick to the plan." I reminded the trio of the Hollows I lived with. They didn't answer, but two of the Adjuchas rushed to hug me.

""Ryoto-sama!!!""

I patted their backs and smiled.

"Now, calm down. Both of you knew that it was going to happen sooner or later. And it's not like we aren't going to see each other ever again."

"Ryoto is right. He is needed somewhere else, and we don't have any right to stop him." Tier said, but I didn't like what I heard. I don't want them to think that they are just a replacement for my family. "For now..." She added quietly, and my smile grew more prominent.

"That's right when everything is done, I will introduce you to my family and Tier, I'm going to explain to them our relationship, and we'll see how it goes from there, but you can expect a positive response. They are all nice."

I didn't say that they'll probably tease me to death about it. It's not something she needed to know.

We really grew closer in the time we lived in this cave. Me and these three Hollows. Shame that I can't return with them, it would create a lot of problems.

After that, I went to say the same thing to Stark and Lilynette. They were part of the plan, and I also grew to like to relax with Stark. He is very laid back, and it just makes me feel at ease as well. Not to mention that he helped me train as well.

Now that I had laid out my traps, I created Garganta and went to the human world. Creating the gate that Hollow uses in Soul Society would cause panic, and I would be discovered rather quickly. The human world isn't as thoroughly monitored.

After that, I unsheathed my Zanpakuto and created a gate to Soul Society.

My first visit won't be to my family, surprisingly. They are strong, I know they are, but someone else needs to see me first. That's why my first destination was Squad 2's barracks.

I was getting a lot of attention. Maybe it was my unkempt hair. Perhaps it was my tattered clothes revealing my upper body, and a big part of my legs was shown. I was also barefoot. I am also not the cleanest. While Harribel could create water, I didn't have any soap at hand, so at most, I could pour water on myself and scrub. Funnily enough, I couldn't even drink that water as it was sea water because she is a shark, and I know that there are some species of sharks that live in freshwater, but they are the exception, not the rule... I think. I don't know that much about sharks.

I also was forced to drink Hollow Blood for some time until I built a water filter.

I ignored the curious and confused stares from members of my Squad and walked towards my office... or it wasn't mine anymore. I hope that they didn't replace me. I wasn't gone that long. I even prepared letters if something like that happened.

I soon arrived at my destination and opened the door without knocking. This room belonged to me, after all.

I was met with an angry growl from behind the mountain of paperwork. Good to know that some things never change.

"How many times do I need to tell all of you to learn to knock on the door!? Just because Captain allows it doesn't mean that I do! I'm not crazy enough to allow my own assassination, so don't even try to sneak up on me."

As this someone answered, she didn't stop filling out the paperwork even though she was feeling annoyed judging by the tone of her voice.

While I couldn't see her because of the documents on the desk, I recognized her voice and attitude immediately.

"You call that crazy. I call that efficient. You don't need to like it to see the results, and the results speak for themselves."

The sound of the pen moving stopped, and silence filled the office. After a short moment, I could hear a chair slamming down on the floor, and my lieutenant hesitantly moved to take a look at her guest, which was me.

"Hello, Soi Fon. Glad to see you as energetic as ever-!"

I didn't finish talking as Soi Fon rushed at me and wrapped her arms around my waist because of a significant height difference. She hid her face in my chest and hugged me tightly. In return, I gently patted her head. It felt natural.

Soi Fon wasn't talking to me, but I could hear them muttering to herself, 'He came back', 'He kept his promise', and things like that.

After the initial shock went away, my cute lieutenant tried to calm herself and get back her composure.

"... You didn't see anything. This didn't happen."

"I don't know what you are talking about. I just got here." I played along and allowed her to pretend this didn't happen. She just can't be true to herself. She is too proud of that, but her 'slip up' showed me that she cared about me after all. "But if someone who missed me suddenly hugged me, I would say sorry for worrying her." I smiled.

Being embarrassed, Soi Fon tried to change the topic, and she took notice of my appearance for the first time. Before, she was too caught up with me, appearing out of nowhere to pay attention to how I looked.

"You look terrible."

"Gee, thanks. Good to know that my efforts paid off." I sarcastically remarked. "I just couldn't find any clothes shops out there, so forgive my attire."

"Where were you anyway?" She finally asked.

"Hueco Mundo," I answered without missing a bit. "I was kidnapped by a group of Menos. I don't know why, but I will get to the bottom of it."

"... How do you get yourself in a situation like that?"

"When you live as long as I did, you have a lot of enemies, and a lot happens to you. Also, I enjoy taking walks in the woods."

"You were gone for a year, and look like you lived in a cave." She said with a deadpan expression.

"... Very enthusiastic walks in the woods."

---

We talked for a while until it was time for me to go home. Hopefully, they miss me, or it will be pretty awkward.

As I was making my way home, I realized how tired I was feeling. It's probably because of my diet and constant vigilance, although the latter was only partially true. After I met Harribel and the rest and I grew to trust them, I was able to relax more. Not all the time, but more.

I also miss the bed. My god, do I miss it! The first thing I'll do is probably take a nap. Not to mention my hate for sand skyrocketed. I must say, Anakin was into something.

When I got in front of the house, I stopped just to look at it, just to let the realization sink in.

I was back.

With that said and done, I entered my establishment. No one should be here at this hour, so I have some time to rest.

Before my well-deserved rest, however, I want to eat something that isn't Hollow as I stepped inside the kitchen. I was surprised to see someone there.

Yukima was currently looking through the fridge.

I didn't get a chance like this in some time, so I used it.

I knocked on the table, startling my daughter, who was trying not to drop a piece of cake on a plate that she had in her hands and juggle it for a few moments.

"I wasn't stealing Rangiku's cake! I swear! I was just worried that it would go bad before she could eat it, and so I decided to eat it before she was forced to throw it away because wasting food... is... bad."

Yukima tried to justify whatever she was doing, and at the end of it, she turned around to see me.

"Hello, Yukima. Long time no see." I said with a soft smile, and I was immediately rushed by my daughter to get another hug, and I returned it gladly.

Hugs are nice.

I also felt my chest getting wet, meaning that Yukima was crying. To calm her down, I started stroking her gently.

"I missed you too."

We stayed like that as long as she needed to until she lifted her head to look me in the eyes. I opened them and smiled, which earned me an even tighter hug.

"Dad, you aren't going to vanish again, are you?" Yukima said hesitantly, and it broke my heart. It looked like while I was focusing on Soi Fon's abandonment issues, I missed the problems of my own daughter.

I broke our hug and lowered myself to look her in the eyes.

"Yukima, I won't ever, EVER abandon you or any one of our family willingly. I promise you that, and you know how strict I am about promises." I allowed a smile to form on my face. "And neither would your mothers."

"... What about mom?"

And there's the question I knew was coming.

"*Sigh* I think you are old enough to know this. Ideally, I wouldn't share it, but I can see that hiding this information any longer would do more harm than good."

We moved to the living room, where we sat on the couch.

"I'll start by saying that Yoruichi, your mother, loves you very much. It was the point where she did everything she could to distance you from the Shihoin clan, and trust me, it was for your own good. You may like your grandma and grandpa, but they are part of a clan that deals mainly with assassinations, and you would be part of this family tradition just like Yoruichi was, and she didn't want it to happen to you.

Now into the main topic... Yoruichi helped Kisuke and Tessai when they were falsely accused, and she was forced to hide with them. She didn't want to drag us with her problems, but she couldn't leave her childhood friends like that, so after a long inner battle, with a heavy heart, she made her decision.

Trust me when I say that it wasn't easy for her, and she only went with that, knowing that you would have the support of the whole family even without her being there for you.

Sometimes life gives you a choice between two evils, and you need to choose whether you like it or not. That's just life."

I put my hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to me.

"And if it makes you feel any better, Yoruichi will return soon... In about 50 years or so if everything goes according to plan."

She looked up at me, hopefully. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really. You didn't think that I would let Yoruichi be a criminal for the rest of her life. I'm worried that she won't be able to live without me anymore. I transformed her from a stray to a house cat. Not to mention the nightlife-"

Yukima quickly put her hands to her ears.

"Lalalala, I can't hear you!"

Seeing that her mood got better, I ruffled her hair.

"Now, if you let me, I would like to take a nap in a bed. We'll have a family meeting in the evening. Sounds good?"

With that said, I went to my bedroom and went to sleep on something soft for once.

(E/D: Lala.... *Breathes*..............*Breathes in war crime*)

---

END

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