Taken aback by the heat in her voice, his brow furrowed further, but he didn't answer immediately. If she truly wished to know, he would not lie to her.

"Perhaps," he allowed quietly, resisting the urge to look away as he kept his eyes on her face. He had never liked the word boyfriend and the casualness it implied, but... "Ino is a precious comrade of mine, whom I am honored to count among my friends." A beat.

"Why do you ask, Sasuke...?"