This whole story is meant to be a metaphorical thing. I know Kakashi never really hung off the edge of a cliff for what fourteen years… he wouldn't be alive in the show if he did but this goes with the whole loneliness thing… Enjoy!

Holding out his hand Kakashi pleaded with his father to help him. To save him from a fall that would undoubtedly kill him. Gods he didn't want to die! Couldn't his father see that? Why isn't he trying to save his only son?

"FATHER!" Kakashi shouted trying with all his might to keep the tears from falling. Why wasn't he doing anything? Wasn't Kakashi good enough? Lord knows that he was an excellent ninja, hell everyone knows he's an excellent ninja! Apparently Sakumo didn't know. Hell anyone watching the small silver haired boy dangle, battered as he was, helplessly from the edge of a cliff would have doubts as to his skills as a shinobi.

Turning away Sakumo disappeared into the fog surrounding the cliff's edge. Kakashi called his name. Begging him to come back, but it was to late his father was gone and blood rained from the dreary sky.

"PLEASE, oh god, Father please! Come back! Don't let me die!" To weary to hold back the tears Kakashi began to cry as he struggled to heave himself up to solid ground if only to get out of this accursed crimson rain. However, it was no use; Kakashi could only hang there as his fingers slipped slowly from their hold.

Just as he was about to fall into the bottomless canyon that would lead to his ultimate demise someone reached out and caught Kakashi by the wrist. Tilting his head back he saw Obito smiling down at him, the misfit Uchiha's head was cocked to the side in a silent inquiry of just what the hell had happened to the silver haired boy.

"Fuck!" Obito grunted as he struggled to pull his team mate up, "You weigh as much as a fucking cow!" Kakshi had half the mind to give a small jerk to take his teammate down with him, but thought better of it. Reaching up Kakshi grabbed hold of the cliff ledge to help Obito pull him up. That's when Kakashi noticed it, Obito was bleeding, but he didn't have any noticeable wounds.

"What happened…" the question went just as unfinished as it did unanswered. Time seemed to slow as Obito opened his mouth to answer, but instead coughed up blood and slumped forward… over the edged of the cliff. Kakashi refused to let go of Obito or the cliff as he skidded down allowing the jagged rocks to cut his hand open, if only to delay his death. Roughly ten feet from the top Obito's limp arm slipped from Kakashi's unsteady grasp and disappeared into the clouds below. Silence reigned only to be broken once by the sickening, far away crack of an unresponsive body laming down in the unforgiving ground below.

Blood rained from the sky again, clotting in Kakashi's eyes and falling into his mouth as he screamed in agony. Damn it he should just let go, there was nothing left for him, no one to save him. Pride kept him from letting go; just because his father didn't care what people said didn't mean Kakashi felt the same.

No one came for a long time. How long Kakashi wasn't sure but it was long enough for the blood to stop falling from the sky and his body to go numb. No longer could he feel the aches and pains that normal people could. Sometimes Kakashi wondered if pride were worth hanging on to this accursed rock and in a sickly experiment would loosen his grasp on the cliff face and allowed himself to slip a little further. He probably should let go, after all it's not like his weak chakra depleted body could go any further.

"Hey," someone called from above, "what are you doing down there?" It was a blonde wearing an obnoxious orange jumpsuit.

"Naruto! What the hell are you doing?" an angry pink haired child shouted, "Sasuke-kun and I don't want to be... oh… hello," the girl stopped in mid-motion towards another boy around their age as she followed the blondes, Naruto's gaze. Kakashi could only assume the other boy was Sasuke.

Kakashi wasn't sure if he should ask these guys for help. No matter how desperately he wanted back up to join the rest of the world. No matter how tired and sore and lonesome he was… these brats would probably kill him during the rescue anyways and as much as he wanted to return to the regular world he wanted to live more.

"Who's he?" the angst-y looking kid, Sasuke asked trying to feign aloofness. Nope Kakashi wouldn't be asking help from these three… JESUS CHRIST THEY'RE GENINS! WHAT HAS THE WORLD COME TO? Sure occasionally the Hokage would send a trio of bratty Genin's to save him but none of them could work together well enough to accomplish the task. The old man must be getting desperate to send these three rejects.

"Dunno Sasuke-teme…OW!" pinky struck Naruto as he addressed Sasuke… whom was apparently the apple of her eye, "What was that for Sakura-chan?" Kakashi though of letting go just to get away from their bickering… before he could reach a decision someone tapped his shoulder.

"Heh, hey want a lift?" Naruto asked grinning from ear to ear as he hung next to him. Somehow the three had managed to jerry rig an odd contraption around the boys waist that allowed the two up top to lower him down… it was probably attached to a tree for security. Naruto didn't let Kakashi answer as he wrapped his arms around the tired jounin's waist.

It all seemed to be going so fast as Sakura and Sasuke pulled them up, Naruto offering his advice every now and then along with some encouragement for Sakura who was becoming more and more worn out with each passing heave. Then finally for the first in a very long time Kakashi was on solid ground.

"How long have you been down there?" Sakura asked wiping the sweat from her large forehead and distributing water amongst them.

"Hard to say," Kakashi drawled while stifling a yawn.

"Teach us something!" Naruto demanded. His two friends quickly reprimanded him for his horrid bluntness. Kakashi seriously thought about leaving the three who saved him while they were distracted, but some how he just couldn't bring himself to leave. Not when these were the people who saved him… who gave him what he wanted.

"You guys know how to climb trees?"