"In the original timeline, this night had to happen. The threat posed by the Uchiha, the Konoha High Command's fear, Itachi's choice, Sasuke's hatred... all of these were vital gears driving Pain's invasion and the Fourth Shinobi World War.
"Remove any one of them, and the plot that follows starts coming loose."
Manji no longer needed to watch what he said around Sarutobi Hiruzen. Hiruzen had long since become one of his men.
That meant he could reveal certain things to him.
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, the embers in his pipe flickering.
"But, my lord, there was an extra variable tonight."
"That Otherworlder who tried to take Naruto. If you hadn't intervened in time..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen ventured cautiously.
"He's already been dealt with. Cleanly."
"My subordinates handled it. His body won't be found, and every trace has been erased. As far as the timeline is concerned, he was nothing more than a moth that happened to fly into a flame."
Manji cut him off.
Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief, but could not help asking, "Then what about Itachi... does he need any additional intervention? In his current mental state, can he handle what comes next?"
Manji shook his head.
"No. Let him follow the prescribed path: defect, join the Akatsuki, become a 'traitor,' and finally die at Sasuke's hands. None of that can change. You only need to do your job as Hokage: reassure the village, suppress public criticism, and cement the official account of the 'Uchiha rebellion.' As for Danzo, he'll come forward to claim credit on his own. Just play along."
"Then use those charges to remove him from office. It'll be a long time before his next part in the story."
Manji said.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, and the smoke