Bleached Legend

The pendulum swings back to the present and the saga continues to unfold right before our very eyes. But what if the pendulum swung back for one other?

Chapter 1: Return

(Vaizard Hideout)

"......In the end, we really are indebted to Kisuke..... And to Aizen. So I guess we need to return the favor." Shinji said to his fellow Vizards then looks at another person sitting in the shadows by the corner of the warehouse which served as their home and adds with a small smile. "Ain't that right, rookie?"

The mysterious figure does not answer but his amber eyes glows briefly in response.

"I thought so." Shinji said with a smirk then looks over at the rest of his comrades.

Aikawa Love. The easy going, afro'd former 7th Division captain.

Otoribashi "Rose" Rojuro. One of their older and calmer members as well as the former 3rd division captain.

Muguruma Kensei. The most serious member of their group despite his relatively young age and former 9th Division captain.

Kuna Mashiro. Kensei's ditzy but unquestionably talented lieutenant.

Yadomaru Lisa. The 'curious' yet deadly former lieutenant of the 8th Division.

Ushoda Hachigen. The large, mild mannered former lieutenant of the kido divison.

And of course his oldest friend Sarugaki Hiyori. The surly ex lieutenant of the 12th Division.

They had decided together that they were going to act when the time is right. And that time is now.

"Let's go." Shinji said, picking up his zanpaktou and walks out with the rest of his comrades.

(Hueca Mundo)

Byakuya breaths hard as he dodges yet another attack from his opponent. He had just finished dealing with the Espada named Zommari Leroux and had brought his sister to Unohana and Isane for medical attention when another Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques attacked. And from what little Rukia had managed to tell him, this Espada seemed to have a grudge against Kurosaki Ichigo.

Kurosaki Ichigo. The ryoka's name left a bad taste in Byakuya's mouth. He had been a fool to think that he could trust his sister's welfare to him but the boy had all but disappeared from the face of the earth after the fiasco when Grimmjow led an attack on the living realm with the Numeros.

Even when the Espadas Yammy and then Sexta Espada Luppi had attacked again and when the ryoka with the unusual healing abilities named Inoue Orihime was kidnapped, Kurosaki Ichigo was still nowhere to be found leaving the rest of his friends, Rukia and his lieutenant to mount a rescue operation on their own and prompting him and two other captains to come to their aid.

Now normally, Byakuya would've been more then able to battle with Grimmjow on equal terms. But the problem was he had just finished his battle with the other Espada and circumstances had forced him to cut the tendons on one of his arms and legs which were not treated yet, severely limiting his ability to fight effectively especially against somebody like the current Sexta Espada.

And to make things worst, a squad of Exequias (Arrancar executioner squad) had appeared and was currently facing off against Unohana and Isane who were still busy treating Rukia and were in no position to defend themselves.

He certainly couldn't call upon Zaraki Kenpachi as he heard that he had gone to chase after another Espada named Nnoitra Jiruga who had taken the ryoka girl as well as a child-like hollow named Nel.

Things were certainly not working in their favor right now and he couldn't help but blame a certain orange haired substitute shinigami for his predicament.

What Byakuya failed to notice in his musings was the gargantu opening just a few hundred meters away.

(Above the fake Karakura town)

Yamamoto Genryuusai was a calm and patient man. A patience born from millenia of service and experience as a shinigami. Of course, it was this steadiness which landed him the position of captain-general of the Gotei Thirteen.

However, this promotion meant that he was no longer allowed to risk his life alongside his subordinates on a regular basis even though it was a widely known fact that he was still easily the most powerful shinigami on active duty. It still burned him to know that he was possibly sending his subordinates to their death and there was nothing he could do about it except watch.

That is the situation Yamamoto found himself now. Some of the Arrancar were a bit more formidable then expected and it would seem that some of his subordinates were having difficulty dealing with them. But he could simply not leave his position watching Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen from inside the ring of fire he created to detain them. They were the most dangerous of the lot since they were ex shinigamis themselves and probably had the knowledge and experience to deal with their former comrades thus prompting him and a few others to stand by and watch them.

But of course, Yamamoto found a way around that problem. One does not get to his position without learning a few means to circumvent his restrictions. Since he could not readily lift a finger to assist his subordinates, he did the next best thing.

He arranges for reinforcements from a third party.

It was a gamble to rely on his backups but under the circumstances, he had no other alternative.

Yamamoto's aged but still sharp eyes then catches a glimpse of what he's been waiting for. An opening gargantua with six shadowy figures in it who jumps off in seperate directions.

"They're here." Yamamoto said gruffly prompting Komomura to look at the captain general curiously.

"Who's here Genryuusai Dono?" The massive, fox-headed captain asks.

"You'll see." Yamamoto answers cryptically, focusing his attention back to Aizen and company.

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Yumichika knew he was in trouble.

Even without releasing the power of his zanpaktou, the arrancar known as Charlotte Cuuhlhourn was beating the tar out of him and even broke his arm with a single attack.

But now, the arrancar had just released his zanpaktou and after he had fired a Cero which the shinigami had avoided, had headbutted him and trapped both himself and Yumichika inside a large, brier-shaped barrier called Rosa Blanka and was now holding him up by the throat.

"This is end ugly shinigami. Goodbye." Cuuhlhourn said as he prepared to break Yumichika's neck

"Damn it." Yumichika grates but knew he was too injured to avoid the blast so he closes his eyes and waits for his inevitable end.

A figure suddenly barges into the arrancar made barrier and snatches Yumichika up from the arrancar's grasp. Opening his eyes, Yumuchika looks up at the face of his rescuer and sees an effeminate looking man with long wavy hair and held a sheathed zanpaktou by his side.

"Who the hell are you?" Cuuhlhourne asks, pissed that someone managed to enter his territory and spoil his kill.

"The name's Otoribashi Rojuro. Former captain of the 3rd Division of the Gotei 13." The man answers then adds. "But my friends call me Rose."

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Ikkaku clutched at the broken shaft of his zanpaktou in it's shikai form. He hasn't beaten this badly since that arrancar he fought in Karakura town named Edoard Leonis. And even then, he was in his released form.

But this big Arrancar whose name he learned was Po was in a different league altogether. And he hasn't even released his zanpaktou yet.

Of course, Ikkaku could call on his bankai to even up the odds. But with so many of his fellow shinigamis within the immediate vicinity, he couldn't do that without drawing unwanted attention to himself.

"You don't at your absolute best shinigami. Can you still afford to hold back?" The massive arrancar called Po asked. "Not that I mind or anything but I'd at least like to crush an opponent who's fighting desperately for his life."

"S-Shut up! What you see is what you get pal." Ikkaku said as he shakily stands up. "Besides, I've still got plenty of fight left in me."

"You are aware that you're asking for a slow and painful death if you insist on continuing to fight me in this manner, right?" Po asks.

"Screw you!!" Ikkaku spat, hefting his spear even though it was taking everything he had just to stand up. "I'll fight however the hell I want and no two bit arrancar is gonna tell me otherwise."

Po sighs in resignation and raises his massive fist. "Then prepare yourself shinigami. You will regret wasting my time on such a worthless slug such as you." Po swings his fist down, intent on hammering Ikkaku to a bloody pulp but all of a sudden, something stops his fist in mid-blow.

Much to Po's and Ikkaku's surprise, the man who interjected himself and stopped Po's attack with just one hand is a dark-skinned man with a spiked afro and wore a pair of squarish sunglasses. He also had a zanpaktou sheathed at his side.

"Whoah.... You're a pretty big guy up close and personal." The man said.

"And you would be....?" Po asks.

"Aikawa Love. Former 7th Division Captain." The man now identified as the Vizard Love answers.

...................................................................................................

Hinamori was in a bind.

While she was struggling to save Matsumoto who had been gravely injured by the massive chimera-like hollow which was a creation of their fraccion opponents, they were preparing for their final assault on the shinigamis.

Fighting the fraccions had been bad enough for her and Matsumoto, but when the 3 released their zanpaktou and ripped off part of their limbs to form the hollow they called Alon, Hinamori knew they had bitten off more then they could chew.

"Are you shinigamis really THIS weak?" The one called Apache said with a snort of derision. "All Alon did was say hello and now one of you is out of the fight already? Pathetic."

"You know? I feel ALMOST sorry for them for having to face Alon." The amazoness arrancar named Mila Rose stated with a vicious grin. "But then again, maybe not."

Sun Sun regards the two female shinigamis impassively and speaks. "We should kill them as quickly as possible so we can assist the others in their battles."

"I guess we could. I was getting sick of playing with them anyways." Apache said then looks up at Alon. "Sic 'em boy."

The monstrous Alon charges at the shinigamis with alarming speed but soon found itself flying back courtesy of a dropkick by a short, pigtailed girl wearing a red tracksuit as well as a what seemed like a zanpaktou strapped on her back.

"Are you two all right?" A voice asks. Hinamori looks behind her and see a large, rather chunky looking man wearing a suit and had a skull and crossbones design on his dome. He held a sheathed zanpaktou in front of him like a cane.

"Of course they're not all right Hachi. Look at the chunk of flesh that monster took out of blondie here." Another voice said. Hinamori turns towards the other voice and sees a woman whom she swore looked like Nanao except that she wore what seemed to be a school uniform and had her hair in a braid. And like the large man and the short blonde girl, she also had a zanpaktou which she had shouldered.

"Hachi. Start healing the bimbos and keep 'em outta our way for the meantime. Things are gonna get ugly here." The sort, blonde girl said, glaring at the arrancars.

"Who are you people?" Hinamori asks.

The blonde girl looks back and studies the shinigamis for a moment before turning her attention back at the fraccions and their monstrous pet answering. "I'm the ex 12th division lieutenant Sarugaki Hiyori. The girl in the sailorsuit is former 8th division lieutenant Yadomaru Lisa and the old fart is the ex Kido Corps lieutenant, Ushoda Hachigen. We're Vizards and we're here to save your butts."

...................................................................................................

"Sorry we're late old man." A voice cheerfully greets the Captain General.

"As impudent as ever Shinji Kun." Yamamoto said with a snort as Shinji appears besides him. "What kept you?"

"Sorry about that. We got a bit lost." Shinji said scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Navigating through the garganta is always a bitch and I'm out of practice." He features grows serious as he looks at the ring of fire which held Aizen, Gin and Tousen. "I take it that Aizen and his cronies are all in there?"

"Yes." Yamamoto answered. "They're the biggest threat to us right not so I needed to isolate them so we can concentrate on the arrancars for the meantime."

"Yamamoto Taichou. Who is this person and can we trust him?" Soi Fong asks suspiciously. "I can sense that his reiatsu signature is similar to Kurosaki Ichigo. If that's the case, then he's...."

"....Both hollow AND shinigami. A vizard." Shinji said facing Soi Fong and Komomura. "I don't believe we've met. The name's Hirako Shinji, former captain of the 5th Division. Nice to meet you."

"Hirako Shinji? Weren't you and some others banished from Soul Society for that little fiasco in hollow experimentation a hundred years ago? Why are you here?" Komomura asks.

"Because I called them." Yamamoto answered. "And they weren't banished but reassigned to the human realm for their own safety. Central 46 wanted them dealt as hollows and I couldn't allow that in good conscience. So I asked Shihoun Youruichi to help smuggle the vizards, Urahara Kisuke and Tessai out of Soul Society to hide out in the real world."

"Wait a minute.... You mean Youruichi Sama leaving Soul Society was actually your idea?" Soi Fong asks incredilously.

Yamamoto nods at this. "Yes it was. My apologies for not informing you earlier but it was necessary to maintain secrecy so we may have a viable fighting force outside Soul Society to call upon when needed."

"I still think that was a bad idea old man." Shinji stated. "We all agreed that we could've stayed and help out finding the culprit. If we did then we wouldn't have this problem now would we? Besides how do you know we wouldn't bail on you?"

"You're here now aren't you?" Yamamoto said. "Besides, you wouldn't pass up a chance pay back the man responsible for your situation would you?" Yamamoto stated, pointedly looking at the ring of fire in front of them.

"I guess that's true." Shinji admitted grudgingly. "Anyways, change of subject old man. About that little project of ours...."

"Ahh.... So he is ready?" Yamamoto asks.

"More then ready and on his way to Hueca Mundo with Kensei and Mashiro as we speak." Shinji confirms with a wide grin.

"Who's on his way to Hueca Mundo?" Komomura asks curiously prompting Shinji to answer him with a dark chuckle.

"Hueca Mundo's about to recieve a rude little wake up call. And that's coz Kurosaki Ichigo is on his way to raise some hell."

(Hueca Mundo)

Grimmjow was furious.

He was beating the crap out of some shinigami to work out his frustrations at not being able to fight the Kurosaki Ichigo guy who gave him the scar on his chest which to him was sort of black mark on his reputation. He sees the female who was with the orange haired shinigami when he attacked with the numeros whom he had wounded severly and decides to take it out on her first.

He charges past the shinigami captain he was fighting and makes a beeline towards the female. But his path was suddenly blocked by 3 strangers. One is a white haired man wearing a sleeveless shirt, cargo pants and combat boots. The female of the group is a ditzy looking greenhaired bimbo wearing a wierd white jumpsuit and kneehigh boots.

But it was the guy in the middle who caught Grimmjow's attention. His face was shrouded by the hood of the black sweater with red linings on the arms as well as the dark sunglasses he wore. He also had on a pair of black sweatpants with red stripes running down both legs and dark colored sneakers.

The first two intruders held zanpaktous in their hands leading the Espada to believe that they must be reinforcements from Soul Society. But the badass in leather didn't seem to be armed even though Grimmjow knew that his weapon was probably just within reach.

"Alright, who the hell are you 3 and why are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?" Grimmjow growls out. "Are you friends with these shinigamis?"

The guy in the middle answered. "We're Vizards and allies with the shinigamis for the moment. The guy to my right is former 9th division captain Muguruma Kensei and the greenhaired chick to my left is his lieutenant Kuna Mashiro."

"As for me, I'm surprised you don't recognize me yet Grimmjow." The guy stated.

Grimmjow was instantly alert. The prick knew his name and all he had on the guy was a feeling in his gut. "Who are you?" He growls out.

"Still don't recognize me eh? Lemme give you a little hint." The guy reaches into his jacket and pulls out what seemed like the hilt of a zanpaktou and in front of his eyes, it transforms into a familiar looking giant kitchen knife.

"That sword...." Grimmjow began. "Don't tell me you're...."

"Getsuga Tenshou."

The attack was whispered but Grimmjow had to jump away to avoid the large, crescent shaped bolt of compressed, black reiatsu.

"Good work avoiding my attack. You're as fast as ever." The man said lowering the hood of his sweater and reveals a familiar mop of orange hair that seemed a little longer. He then removes the sunglasses and lets everyone see his now amber eyes against black irises (basically his eyes when he puts on his mask).

Despite the changes, there was no mistaking who the person was.

Kurosaki Ichigo was back in the fight.

Author's Notes: Hope you guys enjoy my brand new story. As usual, R&R please.