Ketsu Altana had been through a lot in his life. He stood atop the roof of a tall building in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, scanning the world below furiously. He knew there was a Hollow here, he could fucking smell the bastard, but it was being stealthy as all jazz and wasn't showing itself. Maybe it knew there was a hunter nearby? Ketsu wasn't the only hunter in the human world, but he worked alone when he could afford to, as he knew trusting others just ended in people's deaths. The man held his sheathed Zanpakutou carefully, wishing every day that he could hear the thing talk like he used to. As a Shinigami, he'd gotten used to the voice in his head talking with him, but as a Human he had no such thing.

Still, his eyes scanned around looking for the Hollow he knew was here. Somewhere in this district there was a Hollow, he knew it in his old bones. Hunters didn't live long and peaceful lives; they were hunters and hey knew what they were about. Ketsu himself figured he'd die to some random Hollow when he was older and slipping up, but in his own mind he was still in the prime of his adult life. Movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to jump down and start chasing the shadows around, looking for that damn Hollow he knew was nearby. Bastard was hiding its spiritual energy and was probably going to jump out at Ketsu any time now. Luckily his hands were prepared, one on his Zanpakutou and one in the form of a gun.

The full moon gleamed over Shinjuku with a soft light, the night punctuated by a light wind that made it a perfect evening for those that decided to take a stroll. The nightlife was active below, and the man that stood balanced on a lightning rod took in the bustling, lively crowds far below as he kept eyes the color of brushed steel watching for his quarry. A sleeveless white haori with the symbol for Eight on the back swayed lightly as the muscles in the Captain's bare arms flexed light, his legs tensing as he caught a whiff of what he was searching for.

Okami Shiba couldn't profess to being the greatest at sensing others. Hell, it was probably his weakest skill as a Shinigami, but here in the World of the Living there wasn't as much need to differentiate between signatures. If he was sent in to deal with a Hollow, then it was likely one strong enough that it required a more experienced touch, and should be easy enough to detect. This one seemed to be trying to hide, however, so the best chance he had was to wait until the moment before it struck. Where that would be was anyone's guess. Supposedly the damn thing was a Menos, and given the simple but well-executed strategy he could only guess that it was a stray Adjuchas, hence his presence as the Gotei's loyal hound.

Glancing over to a nearby building, he noticed a blonde figure standing there, seeming to look around in a similar manner to the way he himself was. Frowning slightly, the noble decided to wait, his patience being rewarded as a being seemed to morph into existence perhaps fifteen feet behind the man. Vanishing in a burst of Shunpo, the Hollow had barely enough time to let out the stereotypical howl, unearthly and chilling before the crunch of bone was heard, Tsukiakari Shojo's sealed blade lodged in the beast's skull as it slammed into the concrete of the roof hard.

Leaping off the thing's shoulders and reclaiming his partner, Okami removed the poor soul's blood with a practiced flick of his wrist, the zanpakuto's blade glittering in the moonlight as if she reveled in her element. Sheathing the katana carefully, the Shinigami looked at the other man with a bit of a lopsided grin, a playful tone to the soft bass of his voice as he addressed the human in front of him even as the corpse dissolved, those trapped within bound for the Soul Society. "Ah, forgive me. Was that one yours? I'm sure there's a few others around if you'd like. I'm pretty sure they think the Red Light Disctrict is a mini-bar, after all!"

There was a presence that Ketsu could recognize as belonging to a Shinigami. One whom he was fairly sure he knew back when he was a Shinigami himself, but for the life of him he couldn't remember the man's name; it had been too long for Ketsu and for the other man likely, as despite Ketsu's feelings of association it didn't seem like the other man recognized him either. He watched as the man sheathed his katana and asked that he be forgiven for what happened insofar as the man stealing his kill.

"No worries, comrade. We're on the same side after all... aren't we?" He relaxed the grip on his own katana, running a hand through his hair and spiking it backwards. "I feel like we've met before, like we were close friends in another life. My name is Ketsu Altana." Would the man remember him?

Ketsu remembered being a Shinigami. He took the classes, passed the exams, graduated, was assigned a squad, and remembered the majority of the boring parts. But the exciting stuff, the actual fights and people and names... were all a blur. Like he just couldn't be bothered to remember anymore. Just like Kiyomi.

He still remembered her face, but that was only five years ago. Five years since his wife and daughter had died, five years that he'd been hunting down every Hollow who showed up in Japan, five years of being the substitute shinigami without being officially recognized as such. When he was found as a toddler, all that was found with him was the sheathed sword he carried on his hip; he couldn't possibly know it was an Asauchi, or where it came from, and since he was a normal human he could never hear it talk to him, but he could certainly use it to purify Hollows and Konso spirits.

Would the man recognize the Asauchi at his hip? The blond, spiky hair and blue eyes on his head? Would the man recognize anything about Ketsu, or was he mistaken in the first place?

The friendly smile on Okami's face stilled, then melted away as the man turned around, brushing his hair out of his eyes and relaxing his grip on a familiar katana. How a human got an Asauchi was anyone's guess, but that didn't matter nearly as much to the Shiba as the blue-eyed ghost from the past in front of him. It had taken a second, of course, but once the other man had introduced himself things began coming back. "That's...impossible."

The impossible had seemingly become possible, unfortunately, and that brought about far more questions for the experienced Captain. "The cycle of reincarnation shouldn't leave you with memories, and the reishi that makes up a soul just...dissolves, and is reabsorbed by the Soul Society. This has never happened. It shouldn't happen."

Even as he spoke, memories from centuries ago passed through his mind. Days spent training, the missions they'd embarked on together, even times spent lounging around at the bar, all blurred together before his eyes, culminating in the moment that Ketsu Altana had died. Okami Shiba had always held whatever friends he'd had close, and to have lost one hurt beyond all belief. To think that the very laws of the world had been violated and it had brought someone he cared about once back was..."...I'm glad it did, Ketsu. It's good to see you again."

Letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, the lazy, lopsided grin spread again. "I'm Okami Shiba, just in case you don't remember everything. So tell me, what have you been up to old friend?"

The man seemed to recognize him, which was good. Ketsu recognized the friendship they once had, and knew it was a warm, good friendship; they'd been friends for a long time it seemed, but he still couldn't remember the man's name. Apparently that was covered though, as Okami introduced himself again and some of the memories came flooding back.

He'd been assigned to the eight division under their new captain, whom he'd never worked with before nor heard of. On their first mission together, Ketsu misfired a hado that blasted Okami in the back, but he was polite enough to keep that between them instead of reporting him to the first division where he'd get a right scolding. Okami was there when Ketsu unlocked his shikai, when Ketsu unlocked his Bankai, and when Ketsu was made a Captain alongside Okami Shiba. Okami was at his side when Ketsu breathed his last breath as a Shinigami and woke up sixty years later as a Human.

"Living the dream, isn't it?" He gave his famous half-smile, his eyes trying in vain to hide the pain from someone who'd lived as long as he had. "Met a girl, had a kid... they're gone now, but I had 'em for a time. Konso'd them both myself," he tapped the asauchi at his hip with that same half-smile, sighing longingly. "Think I'll ever see 'em again, Shiba-san?"