So, while making my drafts and stuff for Marvelous Shinobi, I came up with this.

When I was younger, I loved playing Bleach The 3rd Phantom. It was the first game that introduced me to the Bleach anime/manga, and I loved it.

Yet, I found myself a bit upset that a certain OP Arrancar wasn't actually a canon character, nor did he have any special appearances in and OVAs or Omakes. I was even more upset by the lack of fanfics with him as a character.

So, I decided to make this and tweak the story of Bleach a bit. Not that it'd make a difference, Bleach's story has gone well beyond what I thought it would be. I honestly thought it should have ended after Ichigo beat Aizen.

But you're not here to hear me rant, you're here to read a story about an Arrancar who's considerably more Spanish than any of the others, in case you can't tell from his surprisingly noticeable accent.

Well, enjoy~

Like A Phoenix

Chapter 1: Hibernation

Fire.

Everything was on fire.

The buildings, the trees, the very earth, it burned.

None of that bothered him.

He stood there calmly, with a hint of arrogance, exasperation and disappointment. His yellow eyes stared impassively at the panting and hunched over figure in front of him, a middle aged looking man with a scar on his cranium, a beard and moustache combo and thick eyebrows. His white Haori, which hung from his waist, was stained with his blood. His muscular torso was bleeding from a rather grievous wound on his stomach.

"...is that it? Is this all you have to offer me..?" The pale skinned figure asked, his sea green hair swaying as he shook his head with disappointment. "Mala Suerte. Such a pity. I expected more from the Thirteen Court Guards. I expected much more from you especially, Shigekuni Genryuusai Yamamoto."

The scarred Shinigami said nothing as he hefted his Zanpakutou, a burning sword by the name of Ryuujin Jakka. With a burst of speed, he blasted forward, his blade held high as he swung it down onto his opponent, who simply blocked with his own blade, albeit with little difficulty.

"See? You barely even have the strength to push me back." Pale yellow eyes narrowed as the pale man flicked out his arm, sending Yamamoto flying back into a wall. "This is... not what I expected from you Shinigami."

Yamamoto coughed out blood as he got up, pieces of rubble falling off of him as he glared at his opponent. "You may have superior strength... but I refuse to let you pass. I will give up my own life to defeat you if it means defending Soul Society from the likes of you."

"Noble words..." the green haired man trailed off as he turned his head to look around him. Everywhere, there was fire, yet the heat did not even bother him. He could see buildings vanishing in the distance as the flames consumed their Reishi. "This battle... while it was amusing at first... I now find myself bored."

With that, the figure lifted his blade, making Yamamoto tense in preparation...

Until his eyes widened as the figure sheathed the blade responsible for slaying over half of the Thirteen Court Guards. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It is simple. I am bored. I came here expecting a greater challenge from you all. Instead I find Shinigami who seem to have grown complacent due to 'peace'. Allow me to rectify that."

With a dramatic gesture, the pale figure swiped his hands across the air, tearing a rip in space, a Garganta. "In many years... maybe ten, maybe a hundred, or even a thousand, I will return, stronger than before. And I will expect you all to put up a better fight than this."

Yamamoto grit his teeth in anger. "Why... for what reason do you do this? What is your objective?"

"Simple. I want a battle... one where I can feel my blood pumping with adrenaline. A battle where my opponent actually has a chance of destroying me. It is clear I will not find that here today... but perhaps in the future, you will be stronger..?" The figure said as he stepped through the Garganta which slowly closed as he stared at Yamamoto with a smirk. "Remember my name and spread it to your Shinigami... as the man who will return to lay siege to Soul Society again. I am Arturo Plateado. I am the first Arrancar. And I will be back."

Shigekuni Genryuusai Yamamoto watched as the hollow responsible for the slaying of so many of his comrades vanished into the void.

So Yamamoto waited, training, and ordering his soldiers and new captains to do the same.

Yet, even after a hundred years, Arturo didn't return.

In the world of the living, there is a town known as Karakura. The spiritual hotspot of the world.

In this town, there is a graveyard. Rarely visited, and surprisingly devoid of spirits.

And in this graveyard was a certain spot few knew about. A hole in the ground near the graveyard, close to the cliff on the top of the hill.

This hole once a tunnel that led to what was once a shrine but has long since been abandoned. Now the shrine sat there underground.

In this place, Arturo Plateado slept.

Arturo was a rather lean man. He wore the standard white Arrancar uniform, albeit with modifications such as shortened sleeves. His Zanpakutou lay by his side, a beautiful blade with a pale green handle and an hourglass shaped guard.

His sea green hair was neck length and had the fringe swept to the left, covering the left side of his forehead.

The remains of his Hollow mask were attached to the right side of his face, covering his right cheek and the upper right side of his head. The mask's remains were shaped similarly to a crown of sorts, with the upper right jaw with four sharp teeth covering his cheek.

Arturo has slept here for many decades. While he once lived in Hueco Mundo, he quickly found that his presence constantly attracted small fry, and they constantly bothered his rest as he waited. So he left and went to the world of the living.

When he arrived, it was still in the era of the Shogunate. He decided to sleep in one of the more isolated shrines, as few went there and there was enough Reishi in the air to sustain himself. So he slept there, subconsciously keeping his Reiatsu as low as possible, waiting for time to pass.

The sound of something tumbling into the tunnel however, caused his awakening. Despite the lack of light in the underground shrine, he was able to sense the Reiatsu of the being that entered his hideout. It was a human, and it had a noticeable amount of Reiatsu for one.

His eyes remained closed as he heard the human mutter something and began to walk slowly. He also heard the sound of thunder and rain coming from above. It must be raining quite heavily. He could hear water trickling into the tunnel.

A small light suddenly began to shine on his closed eyes, followed by a startled yelp. The human must have brought a source of light, a torch perhaps? Or a lantern?

"H-hello? Are you okay?"

Arturo tensed. Not possible. The human may have an impressive amount of Reiatsu for one, but it can't be enough to see him. Furthermore, that voice was that of a child's. Un niño. Young enough that he had trouble discerning the gender. There was no way a young child could possibly see him.

"Mister, are you okay? It's not healthy to sleep here. And you have a... h-hole..."

'Mierda.' Arturo thought as he slowly sat up straighter and began to open his eyes. His pale yellow orbs slowly focused on the figure in front of him, partially illuminated by the small torch which appeared to be made of metal and glass.

The child was young indeed, most likely around 8 or so years old. Once more, Arturo had trouble telling the gender, as the person's face matched the voice. Young and androgynous. The child had large brown eyes full of curiosity and some fear and... orange hair?

Well, not the oddest hair color Arturo has seen considering his own teal hair. And seeing how the child's hair was quite short, it was most likely a boy.

The child was dressed in a large yellow raincoat which went low enough to cover the knees. A pair of rubber boots were visible, though the dark color made it difficult to tell if it was black or just very dark brown.

Arturo stared at the child, who began to look increasingly unnerved. "U-um... miste-"

"You can see me."

The child nearly jumped at the Arrancar's sudden voice, noting that he had a foreign accent when he spoke Japanese. "Y-yeah... are you a spirit?"

Arturo tilted his head slightly before nodding. "I am. Curious, how a child as young as you can see beings such as I."

"I've always been able to see ghosts..." the child trailed off as he found his eyes staring at Arturo's chest.

Or specifically, the hole in it.

"Do you find my hole curious?" Arturo asked, making the child's head snap up in surprise.

"W-well... I've never seen a ghost with a hole in their chest... I've only seen them with metal and chains on them." The spiritually aware ginger's eyes flick back to Arturo's chest. "W-why don't you have a chain?"

"Because I am a Hollow."

Conveniently, thunder suddenly boomed rather loudly as soon as he said that.

"A.. a Hollow? What's a Hollow?"

"A spirit who has remained in the land of the living for too long. When a person dies, they become a spirit. Those chains you see? They are known as the Chains of Fate. When one becomes a spirit, the chain will slowly decrease in length over a long period of time. Once the chain vanishes, the spirit becomes a Hollow." Arturo cites calmly, curious to see how the child would react.

"...a-are Hollows... evil spirit?"

The Arrancar shrugged a bit. "Hollows are more like animals. They strive to fill the hole in their hearts. Interpret that anyway you wish, Hollows are just spirits guided by instinct. Most resemble monsters."

"Then why don't you?" The child asked, tilting his head curiously. At this, Arturo smirked.

"Because I am an Arrancar. The first of my kind to leave behind my original form... and gained the powers of a Shinigami."

"S-Shinigami? A God of Death? They exist?" The child began looking a bit more excited at this. Arturo paused for a moment, curious at the child's reaction. He was expecting the child to be more... unnerved.

Still, first bit of intelligent company he's had for a long time and he was so very bored.

"Indeed, though their name is more of an exaggeration. They are merely spirits who govern the afterlife, guide the dead there and of course... slay Hollows."

At this, the child's expression turns a tad bit darker. "W-why?"

"As I said, Hollows are like animals. Guided by instinct. And if an animal that cannot eat normal physical food is born, what would it eat?" Arturo asks, his smirk widening as he saw realization dawn on the child's face. "I see some gears beginning to turn."

"You... eat spirits?" Ah, there was the scared expression he was expecting.

"Hollows do indeed eat human spirits. However, as an Arrancar, I no longer require, nor even remember those days. No, human spirits are simply too weak for me to devour, so you may relax. I will not devour you."

This seemed to calm the child down immensely. Curious, how words could make a human's emotions change so quickly.

"So... if you don't eat human spirits what do you eat?"

"Well, when human spirits are no longer sufficient, Hollows cannibalize others. When you are a Hollow, morals hold little importance. You need to eat or you will be eaten. I have devoured many of my kind and even Shinigami to reach this level of power. Not because I wanted to mind you, but because I had to. If a Hollow doesn't get stronger... it will be killed." Arturo said grimly. He was lying about not wanting to devour other Hollows, he reveled in devouring his kind. Why wouldn't he? Devouring them increases his strength and placates his hunger. Though as an Arrancar he can sustain himself on the Reishi in the air, he still devoured a stray soul that wandered a little too close to his hidey hole.

"That... sounds lonely."

That, was not the expected reaction Arturo was awaiting. He was expecting something along the lines of disgust or more fear. But pity? PITY? From a human no less?

"...it is indeed."

However, despite the absurdity of receiving pity from a human, he could not deny the child's statement. It was indeed a lonely existence.

Not because he felt longing for interaction because he was depressed or anything but because it was so unbelievably BORING without another to speak to.

Arturo lifted his head as he realized that the rain had stopped. The child seemed to notice this too, and seemed to be a bit distressed upon realizing it.

"Oh man, my mom's gotta be so worried!" The young boy exclaimed as he ran for the exit, preparing to climb out of the tunnel. Before he did, he turned to Arturo with a pensive expression. "U-um... can I see you again?"

"Pardon?"

"Well you're lonely... and since you're a... Aroncar or something... you don't need to eat human souls, right? So that means it's alright for me to visit you again and keep you company, right?"

Arturo stared at the human incredulously for a moment before letting a small smile grow on his face. "Do as you wish."

"Alright! I'll see you next Sunday because I've got school for a few days!" the child exclaimed rather happily before proceeding to climb out of the hole, albeit with some difficulty.

Soon, the boy was running off, his Reiatsu going further away and joining the side of another larger signature. A signature that Arturo found quite curious.

"Is that his mother..? Hmm, how curious... she appears to be a Quincy... yet her Reiatsu feels a bit... subdued?" Arturo murmurs to himself before he leaned back and closed his eyes again. "Quite curious..."

Moments later as he tried to go back to sleep, waiting for next week to come, he realized something.

"Hmm.. I do believe I forgot to inquire to the niño's name."

[Elsewhere, Cemetery's exit]

"Where were you before? You had me worried you know?" a calm and caring voice belonging to a beautiful woman with hair matching the child's said as she held his hand while they walked.

"Sorry mom, I got a bit lost. But its okay, I made a new friend!"

"Oh? Should I be concerned about you making friends in a cemetery of all places?"

"It's okay mom, he's really... well, not nice but more like calm. His hair is green too!"

The woman raised an eyebrow at this. "Green hair? Is he a delinquent?"

"No he's a ghost!" The child then paused, wondering if he should tell her about the nature of his being. Deciding that he'd worry her if he did, he settle for an abridged version of the truth. "He's been sleeping in the cemetery for a while so he gets lonely. So I said I'd visit him again next Sunday to keep him company!"

The child's smiled at how happy the boy seemed. "I'm sure you made the spirit very happy." She then turned to look at the road as they walked. "I still find myself a bit worried that you're making friends with ghosts and not living people, Ichiko. A young girl like you needs more friends your age."

The tomboy frowned a bit before sighing. "The other kids all think I'm weird anyway. I don't need them."

"What about Arisawa-chan?"

"She's my rival, not my friend! There's a difference!"

"Of course, of course." Masaki Kurosaki said as her daughter began to rant while they walked home.

So yes, this is chapter one. And already you can see the changes in the Bleach canon.

Like Arturo completely overpowering a younger Yamamoto.

Or Arturo letting him live because he was bored.

Or Ichigo being a girl.

Yes, I have genderbent Bleach's main character for this story. And no, before you ask, she is NOT going to eventually be paired with Arturo. I see Arturo as the kind who just does not hook up with a female, unless I can find a Bleach character who is just perfect for him. Either way, it ain't gonna be Ichiko.

You may wonder, how many other characters will be genderbent? The answer is most likely nil. I only plan for Ichiko to be the only genderbent character in this story.

Frankly, I always wondered what Bleach would be like if Ichigo was a chick.

As for who Ichiko will be paired with, I have an idea for that, and I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

Until next time dearies. Bye bye~