Forbidden Attraction

Chapter 36: Shocking Discoveries

"Ino, I swear something isn't right!" Sakura exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency, as she sat at the nail salon with her friend.

Ino glanced at Sakura, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Sakura, Hinata isn't that type of person. She wouldn't be seeing Sasuke behind your back, that's crazy," Ino reassured her, watching the nail technician work on her nails with a focused expression.

Sakura shook her head vigorously, frustration evident in her eyes. "I swear to god! I saw Sasuke's hair when I was at Hinata's house," she insisted, her voice rising slightly.

Ino looked at Sakura with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. She couldn't wrap her head around the possibility of Hinata betraying Sakura in such a way. She had always known Hinata to be kind and sincere.

"Girl, Hinata said it was Sai," Ino replied, trying to reason with Sakura. "Speaking of Sai... You think since they stopped seeing each other, he would be free?" she asked, trying to change the topic.

Sakura let out a frustrated sigh, feeling annoyed that no one seemed to believe her. She had seen what she saw, and it was hard for her to shake off her suspicions.

"Ino, I know what I saw," Sakura said firmly, her tone resolute. "Sasuke has been going to Hinata's apartment all the time, and she's been acting strange lately. I can't shake off this feeling that something's off."

Ino looked at Sakura with a conflicted expression, torn between her loyalty to Hinata and her desire to support her friend. She couldn't ignore Sakura's distress, but she also found it hard to believe that Hinata would do something so deceitful.

"I understand that you're worried, Sakura, but maybe there's an explanation for all of this," Ino said cautiously, trying to mediate the situation. "Let's not jump to conclusions until we have all the facts."

Sakura nodded, realizing that Ino had a point. She didn't want to accuse Hinata without solid evidence, but her gut feeling was telling her that something was amiss.

"Okay, from the top," Ino said, leaning in. "When did you start feeling like things weren't right?"

Sakura withdrew her foot from the soothing water and carefully rested it on the towel provided, her eyes locking onto the nail technician before she spoke. "I'd say it was around two months ago," she answered, a note of concern threading through her voice. "Sasuke, well, he told me he needed some time alone. Then, during that beach trip, they both disappeared for quite a while. Hinata mentioned she took a stroll down the beach, but Sasuke remained silent and brushed off the question. Later, as they started collaborating on that project, it felt like they were spending more and more time together. And there was this one time when I went over to Hinata's place. She had someone over, and I'm now pretty sure it was Sasuke because he came back all sweaty, claiming he'd gone for a run. Then, there was that gathering with Sai, Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and me. They were dared to kiss, but it seemed like it meant more to them."

Ino looked at Sakura, surprised by the revelations. She could see that Sakura was genuinely concerned and upset. However, Ino was still skeptical and didn't want to jump to conclusions without more evidence.

"Sakura, it's important not to jump to conclusions based on circumstantial evidence," Ino advised with caution. "There might be valid explanations for what you've observed. Hinata could have genuinely wanted to avoid the crowded beach, and Sasuke might have indeed gone for a run. As for the kiss, it might have felt that way because you were still upset about the breakup. Besides, it was a dare – something meant to be taken lightly. Before we make any judgments, we should look for more concrete evidence to confirm our suspicions."

Sakura sighed, feeling a bit deflated but also understanding Ino's perspective. "I know it sounds like a stretch, but it's just all adding up," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I can't shake this feeling that something is off."