Nagato's Edo Tensei Arrival

Turtle Island's training ground had been dyed a warm orange-red by the setting sun. Naruto sat cross-legged atop a flat rock, his breathing steady and deep, his eyes shut tight and his brows faintly furrowed, as though he was still wrestling with something unseen inside him. The fluctuations of Chakra around him were far more stable than when he had first arrived on Turtle Island. No longer did they flicker unpredictably like a flame scattered by the wind; instead, they lay settled within him, with only the occasional thread of warmth seeping through his skin.

Killer B stood beneath the shade of a tree some distance away, holding a skewer of freshly grilled fish. His eyes were half-lidded behind his sunglasses as he chewed, occasionally letting out an indistinct hum. The tune drifted erratically, as though he had grabbed a few notes out of his head and tossed them into the air.

"Yo, kid—done training yet? Heh heh, you fool—the power of a Tailed Beast ain't something you can steal in one day—" Killer B tossed the fish bones behind him, clapped his hands, and strode over to Naruto with his distinctive rhythmic gait. Lowering his head, he studied the blond boy with his eyes closed over the rim of his sunglasses.

Naruto opened his eyes, his blue pupils exceptionally clear in the sunset. He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, as if releasing the last trace of tension from his body. "Uncle B, my training's over. I can't say I've completely mastered it yet, but at least—I won't be drowned by the Nine-Tails' hatred anymore."

"Oh?" Killer B tilted his head, and his sunglasses slid down his nose, revealing eyes full of scrutiny. "Won't be drowned? Heh heh, you fool—kid, you know 'not drowning' and 'knowing how to