Author's note: I just started this story, I hope you all like it. R&r, please! I have confidence in this story, so tell me what you think! Thanks tons!

Changing of Times

Chapter One:

Piercing Words

"Well, what about it?"

There was a long, awkward pause floating through the air, a long, unwanted, icy silence.

"We might as well." The reply was somewhat reluctant, but it was voiced nonetheless.

"So we can finally get this over-with?" Sasuke questioned grimly.

"If you pass this exam, it will be over-with, yes," Kakashi responded with a curt smile.

"So you do think that we're ready?" Sasuke was somewhat worried, but kept his expression calm so that no one would notice.

"I wouldn't appoint you two if I didn't think you were ready," Kakashi answered. "The exam is in a month. Train hard, won't you? And take Naruto with you." It was his final request before he vanished with another quick grin.

"What! Why do I have to take HIM?" Sasuke screamed, but Kakashi was already gone. "Ahh… it can't get worse than this!" He scowled but stood up from his seat, stretching his legs. "The exam is in a month… and I have to take that loser Naruto with me!" He cursed to no one unparticular angrily. "The Jounin exam is going to be tough… I suppose I better begin training." He took one last look at the dimly lit cell that he was in, turned his attention forward, and ran.

Naruto awoke to a sharp, irritated knock on his door and groggily opened his eyes with a quick yawn. He rolled over, wondering if he should take the time to answer the door or not, and heard the persistent knock once again, but louder this time. "Eh.. hang on… hang… …on," he called with another yawn, his eyes now half open and his feet stumbling him toward the door. He jerked it open, his body bent over and his mind only processing his own actions slowly as he looked up to see Sasuke standing in the doorway, his charcoal eyes narrowed and a scowl pasted upon his thin lips.

"Sa….suke?"

"Come with me," he demanded, grabbing Naruto's arm quickly and jerking him outside.

"Huh… what…? What time is it?" he asked sleepily, glancing around with a sense of hesitation.

"It's three in the morning. Come on, we're going to go train for the Jounin exam that Kakashi-sensei recommended us for."

"I want to go sleep," Naruto protested, jerking his arm away from Sasuke's grasp.

"If you're going to go back and sleep instead of train, I'll laugh at you when you fail the test," Sasuke told him with a sense of annoyance.

"Well I was sleeping! I'm tired, you moron!" He adjusted his sleeping cap that sat on his pile of blonde hair sloppily, but his sleeping hat looked more like a monster that was eating his head.

"Fine. Go and lose the exams and the main matches. I'll laugh in your face," Sasuke spat back, turning away from him. "When we are done training, you can sleep all that you want."

"Why are you asking me to go somewhere with you? That's strange. Did someone order you to or something?" Naruto asked, closing the door that stood ajar behind him as the two stood outside in the thick darkness that engulfed them.

"Kakashi-sensei told me to take you with me to train. It was an order by him. Disobey his orders if you want, I don't care. I don't want to have to get after you like a little puppy all of the time, so stay here for all that I care." He began to walk away, taking slow strides, waiting for Naruto to come running after him.

"Kakashi-sensei told me to go with you?" he asked, raising his voice with a hint of excitement.

"Are you deaf or something? What did I just say?" Sasuke demanded, spinning back around abruptly.

"Hang on… I'll go and change my clothes… I'll be back in a second!" he called, and ran back inside, slamming the door behind him.

"What an idiot," he muttered to the humid night air, shaking his head with a sense of dismay. "There's no way that he can pass the Jounin exam, he's too stupid to!" He swallowed a tough laugh and waited for Naruto to come bursting from the door.

Only minutes later, he came running out of his house with a grin plastered upon his face, holding a backpack that was stuffed full of unorganized possessions. "Come on, Sasuke!" He seemed eager and ready to go, completely changed from his sleepy state of earlier.

"Whatever…" Sasuke's hand was stuffed deep into his pocket, a scowl still swallowing his expression. "But I can't believe I'm stuck with an idiot like you!"

Naruto ignored him and began to skip off merrily, humming to himself. "Wait, idiot, do you even know where we're going to go and train at yet?"

"No," he answered, turning around to face him slowly.

"Well, you aren't going the right direction, We're going up into the mountains this time. Stick with me, or you might get lost. If you do get lost, I'm not going to take the time to go back and find you."

"Fine then," he responded, slightly annoyed with his "high and mighty" attitude.

They walked in silence for a while until Naruto came to a sudden halt, his shoes crunching the dirt that stood scattered beneath his feet. "What is it this time?" Sasuke questioned, rolling his eyes.

"I'm hungry," he replied, digging through his bag hastily.

"I'm hungry too, and I'm not complaining! Come on, we don't have time to waste on you. We need to get up the mountain before daybreak," Sasuke informed him.

"Says who?"

"Says me! Now come on!" He began to walk ahead, taking his time, waiting for Naruto to catch up.

"You know what?" Naruto called, jogging to catch up. "I hate it when you're in charge! You're too full of yourself! Maybe you would have more friends if you weren't so arrogant and commanding!"

Sasuke whirled around to face him, his eyes flaring chaotically, his teeth biting his bottom lip. "You're one to speak!" he shouted, yanking his hand from his pocket that was now a tightly clenched fist. "You might have more friends if you weren't so loud and stupid!"

"So what? At least I don't act like I'm better than everyone else like you do!" Naruto protested, narrowing his beautiful blue eyes.

"Why would you call it acting? I don't act like I'm better than everyone else; I am better than everyone else!"

"There you go again! I've never met someone quite as conceited as you. Don't you get tired of being like that?"

"Don't you get tired of being loud and stupid?" Sasuke asked angrily, his charcoal eyes narrowed into furious slits.

"Why you-!" Naruto roared, his hands turning into tightened fists. He swung a punch at Sasuke' stomach but it was easily blocked by his open palm.

"You're such an amateur! You're going to fail all of your tests, just like you failed at the beginning ninja academy three times in a row!" he laughed, grabbing Naruto's fist and holding it in his grasp. "You're nothing but a failure. You should have listened to what Neji said to you!" He swung his other fist at Naruto's stomach, driving it into him hard, and Naruto gasped for air, falling backward from the force. He looked up at Sasuke, his eyes even angrier than before, his chest throbbing and his lungs screaming to obtain air.

"There's no point in taking you with me. You'll only get in my way, after all." Sasuke laughed to himself, holding his head high, and began to walk away, leaving Naruto lying on the ground, fuming with anger.