Outrageous Beyond Belief!

They had paid him, and he still intended to kill the man!

He was grinding the Five Rings Trading Company's reputation into the dirt!

He was forcing the Five Rings Trading Company to turn against him!

The consequences were unthinkable!

Mechuan Riko stiffened. The trace of relief on her face froze before it could fully form.

Her pupils contracted. In her gold-rimmed glasses, she saw Yongye's unruffled face reflected back at her. Her mouth opened, her lips trembled, but not a word came out.

Uchiha Itachi whipped his head around.

His expressionless face twitched. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated instinctively, fixing on Yongye.

His lips moved, and he forced a few words through clenched teeth.

"You could at least..."

His voice rose a notch, strained with barely contained exasperation.

"Pretend!"

Mechuan Riko snapped out of her shock. She turned to Yongye and bowed again, her voice urgent and trembling with a hint of pleading.

"Lord Yongye! Please, at least play along! Otherwise... otherwise, I won't be able to explain this to Manager Mechuan!"

She bowed deeper than either of the previous times, her forehead nearly touching her knees. Sweat trickled down the back of her neck and along her spine, darkening the fabric of her navy suit.

Yongye nodded.

"Fine. Since you insist..."

The tension eased slightly from Itachi's shoulders. Riko raised her head, relief flooding her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses.

She let out a long breath she had been holding for far too long. It shook as it left her chest.

The same thought crossed both their minds: Thank goodness. This madman finally understands what's at stake. If he plays along and pretends he took the money and let Ono Ichiro go, we can put this behind us.

The Five Rings Trading Company would save face, its relationship with