Soundless took the jar of Wild Honey without ceremony, unscrewed the lid, and drank straight from it.
Black stains still clung to half his body, and the black water had pitted his face. His left eye was narrowed to a slit, but his right was bright. After swallowing, he smacked his lips and frowned. "Too sweet. Do you people in the Shinobi World think sugar is free?"
"As long as it tastes better than black water." Serina snatched the jar back from him and took a sip herself. "It really is sweet. Tell that plump sister-in-law of yours to use less next time."
Soundless froze for a moment, then laughed. When he laughed, he looked even more like Jiraiya than Wujiu did-one corner of his mouth tilted up, exposing a canine tooth, with the exact same punchable swagger of someone convinced he was the greatest man alive.
"You sing better than Jiraiya," he said.
"Jiraiya sang?"
"He did." Soundless pointed at his throat. "He got drunk in Peace River Town back then, climbed the old locust tree in the middle of the night, and howled at the Boundary River. Every note was off, but he threw in plenty of commas. Those old men from the Silence-Sound Sect were so furious they nearly tossed him into the Boundary River to feed the fish."
The young disciple beside them twitched at the corners of his mouth, as though suppressing a laugh. Serina noticed him-he looked a little over twenty, with delicate features and only a few scattered black spots on his wide sleeves. He was in the best shape of anyone in the Silence-Sound Sect. Hanging at his waist was not just a Law Staff, but also a... Kunai?
"What are you looking at?" The young disciple grew a little uncomfortable under