The Thing Menma Fears

"Yota, the truth is... you were resurrected by someone," Menma finally spoke up.

"Resurrected?" Yota did not quite understand what that meant.

"It means that you, Yota, were actually already dead, and someone brought you back to life using the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu." Menma finally revealed the truth to him.

"Is that so? If that's the case, then the one who resurrected me must be the person with snake-like eyes," Yota thought for a moment before saying.

Menma nodded and said, "His name is Orochimaru, and he used the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu to bring you back."

"I see, well that's actually quite nice, it allowed me to meet so many friends!" Yota didn't overthink it; he was simply happy to have made so many friends.

"Don't tell anyone else about this, or they will be sad," Menma added.

"I know! I won't tell anyone else, this is a secret between us!" Yota said happily to Menma.

"Good! See you tomorrow, Yota!" After saying this, Menma vanished on the spot.

Sunlight spilled over Konoha, the dappled light and shadow adding a touch of tranquility and peace to the vibrant village.

Naruto, Menma, Yota, and the other friends gathered once again; the previous day's experiences had solidified their bond, a profound connection forged through trials.

"Let's go explore outside the village today!" Naruto suggested excitedly, his eyes sparkling with a longing for the unknown, a passion that seemed capable of igniting the entire world.

"What was that? Leave the village?" Menma looked at Naruto in surprise and asked.

"Yeah! Aren't you curious about what's outside, Menma?" Naruto asked again.

"But... we aren't allowed to leave the village." Menma's words were like a bucket of cold water, and Naruto quieted down.

"I know a place where we can get out! Follow me!" Yota spoke up at this moment.

The group followed Yota to the perimeter wall, where Yota moved a wooden board aside to reveal a hole of decent size.

"We can get out from here!" Yota said, then crawled through.

However, no matter how the others tried, they couldn't get out. With no other choice, Menma gave his Flying Thunder God Kunai to Yota and used the Flying Thunder God to bring everyone out.

"Great! This feels like it's going to be super fun," Ino responded, her eyes full of anticipation, as if she could already see the beautiful scenery along the way and the interesting things about to happen.

And so, the group of friends set off toward the forest outside the village, full of anticipation. Yota walked among them with a happy smile; for him, this was an incredibly precious moment, and his heart was filled with gratitude for his friends.

Just as they snuck out, two figures were silently watching from the shadows.

"How lucky, running into a few Konoha brats playing outside," one person said.

A closer look revealed that all three were wearing Kumogakure headbands.

"Looks like we can have some real fun now," a Kumogakure ninja said with a wicked smile.

"Then let's kill all these brats, let's follow them!" the third person said, and then led the other two in pursuit.

Not long after entering the forest, the surrounding atmosphere changed quietly. The once cheerful birdsong vanished without a trace, and silence spread like a tide. Immediately after, a faint mist began to permeate the area; the mist seemed to have a life of its own, quickly enveloping them.

"This fog is a bit strange," Shikamaru said, frowning. His keen intuition sensed the scent of danger, and his brain began to race, attempting to analyze the current situation.

"Everyone, be careful." Menma heightened his vigilance, his gaze becoming sharp, ready to deal with any potential danger at any moment.

Suddenly, several giant spiders lunged out of the mist. These spiders were massive, their black shells shimmering with an eerie luster in the fog, their eyes glowing with a red light like hellfire. Long spider silk spat from their mouths, looking exactly like lethal white whips.

"Ah! What are these monsters!" Choji screamed in terror, his body instinctively shrinking back, his face full of fear.

Naruto reacted quickly and performed hand seals without hesitation: "Shadow Clone!" In an instant, over a dozen Naruto clones charged toward the spider swarm like a surging wave crashing against a reef.

"Hey! Don't charge to the front alone! It's dangerous!" Menma shouted, knowing he had to step up.

He prepared to use the Flying Thunder God, but when he saw the dense, swarming legs of the spiders, a wave of fear gripped his heart.

Menma was afraid of spiders; this was a fear hidden deep within his heart, and at this moment, it spread through his mind like a demon. His legs couldn't help but tremble. He would be startled even if a small spider suddenly appeared in front of him, let alone spiders larger than they were.

But he forced himself to calm down because he knew his friends needed him. Menma adjusted his breathing and quickly performed the Rasengan. A blue sphere of chakra formed in his hand, and he lunged at a spider. The spider was hit by the Rasengan and sent flying by the immense power, crashing into a large tree that shook violently, causing leaves to rain down.

"That jutsu the brat used is..." The three people watching from the shadows were shocked.

"There's no mistake, that's the jutsu used by Konoha's Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze." One of them said.

"Did you see those two brats? Could they be the two sons of Minato Namikaze?" Another person's expression became increasingly sinister, and he began to grow restless.

"Looks like it, how lucky, we can finally get our revenge," the third person said.

"Let me add some fuel to the fire, Summoning Jutsu!" The man summoned a spider of massive proportions; compared to the previous spiders, they were like small fry.

The giant spider bared its fangs, and its blood-red maw opened, emitting a shrill sound.

Seeing his friends fighting, Yota desperately wanted to help. He tried to use his abilities, but found they had no effect on these spiders.

His mood became anxious, and the sky darkened along with his emotions, clouds gathering as if a storm were imminent.

"Yota, hide first!" Ino shouted. While shouting, she performed the Mind Transfer Jutsu, briefly controlling one of the spiders to buy time for her friends.

Yota obediently hid behind a large tree, clutching the trunk tightly, his body trembling slightly as he watched his friends on the battlefield with nervous eyes.

However, the number of spiders kept increasing, like an endless darkness surging forward. The friends gradually began to struggle; the exhaustion of battle started to show, their breathing became rapid, and sweat soaked their clothes.

"This won't work, we need to think of a plan." Shikamaru dodged a spider's attack while thinking rapidly, his eyes searching the surrounding environment in desperation.

Just then, a spider quietly circled behind Yota. Its movements were light and stealthy, like a ghost in the dark. Suddenly, it lunged at Yota, its sharp claws glinting in the dim light.

"Yota!" Menma spotted the situation, but due to the obstruction of the spider swarm, he couldn't get there in time.

Yota was tightly bound by the spider's silk, which acted like tough ropes that constricted further with every movement. He struggled, his eyes filled with terror as if he were witnessing the arrival of death itself.

The spider dragged Yota deep into the mist, moving with the blinding speed of a black gale. His friends were frantic, desperate to give chase, but they were pinned down by other spiders.

"Yota!" Naruto roared in fury, his eyes turning blood-red as a surge of immense power erupted from within him. He unleashed Multi-Shadow Clone, manifesting a Rasengan in his palm. Countless clones launched fierce attacks on the surrounding spiders, knocking them back and carving a path for the group.

The friends rushed in the direction Yota had been dragged. When they arrived, they found Yota lying on the ground, looking at death's door.

"Yota, what happened to you?" Naruto asked anxiously, his voice trembling.

"I feel my strength fading... I think I'm going to leave you all..." Yota whispered weakly, his voice as light as a falling feather, heavy with helplessness.

"No, Yota, we will definitely save you!" Naruto shouted, his eyes burning with a firm, unyielding resolve.

The others gathered around, their hearts aching as they looked at Yota on the ground. Just then, a rustling sound echoed through the mist; it seemed even more danger lurked within the forest.

Suddenly, webs shot out from nowhere, binding the group tightly. Menma reacted quickly and dodged the incoming silk, but the others were not so lucky; they were ensnared instantly, pinned to the ground and unable to move.

"Hahaha, little brats, can't move now, can you?" A voice rang out, and three figures appeared before them.

"You are... Cloud Village ninja!" Menma said, having recognized the headbands on the three men.

"Oh? You recognized us, kid? Then we'll just have to finish you all off!" As the man finished speaking, a massive spider appeared behind them.

The spider was gargantuan, its legs as thick as tree trunks. Seeing such massive limbs, Menma began to shiver; he stared at the giant spider, frozen in place.

"Menma! What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be strong? Hurry up and take them down!" Naruto shouted at the sight.

Menma was too terrified to make a sound, staring in horror at the giant spider. Faced with his deepest fear, he had lost all combat capability, simply gawking at the beast with its gaping, bloodthirsty maw.

The giant spider crept slowly toward them, baring its long fangs as if ready to devour them whole.

As the spider drew nearer, Menma's fear intensified. He collapsed onto the ground, his eyes locked on the creature.

"Damn it! Menma, what exactly are you doing!" Kiba shouted.

"It's no use. Spiders, centipedes, and snakes are what Menma fears most. He's completely useless in a fight right now," Shikamaru said, seemingly resigned to their fate.

"Damn it! Are we really going to die here today? I haven't even become Hokage yet, what kind of joke is this!" Naruto cried out in frustration.

"Hey! Menma, you brat! What are you doing? You're actually afraid of something like this? Even I'm not afraid of it, so why are you? Do you think I'm not more terrifying than that thing?" Kurama also shouted from within the Sealing Space.

Menma seemed not to hear them, continuing to stare blankly at the giant spider.

"Don't you dare! Hurt my friends!" Yota slowly stood up and shouted at the spider. Sparks of electricity danced over his body, and suddenly, thunder rumbled in the sky as countless bolts of lightning struck the spider.

As Yota's rage grew, the lightning intensified, leaving everyone watching in shock.

"Ah!" Yota let out a loud cry and charged at the spider, just as a massive bolt of lightning struck down directly.

"Boom!" With a deafening roar and a flash of white light, the spider was reduced to nothing but ash by the time the group regained their senses.

A scrap of fabric drifted on the wind, landing before them; it was a piece of Yota's clothing.

"Damn brat, looks like I'll have to finish you off myself." One of the men spoke and prepared to charge, while the other two drew their kunai and rushed toward the group.

At this moment, Menma picked up the scrap of fabric from the ground. He clutched it in his palm, staring viciously at the three men charging toward him.

"Do you also wish to dance?" With that, Menma drew his Flying Thunder God Kunai and hurled it at the three men.