Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-24347194-20150211225344/@comment-142748-20150404014028

ItachiWasAHero wrote: Lesser speed, lesser strength, lesser chakra reserve although unlimited, and lesser overall power. Madara as an Edo, then coming to life proved that. It's not complicated and it's not rocket science. Prove that Itachi had lesser strength and lesser chakra and lesser over all power. The manga never showed that. At all. Show Edo Itachi showing inferior strength, chakra, and overall power to his living self and you have an argument. Otherwise, you can't claim it. Show actual proof of Itachi saying he's weaker, or you have no foot to stand on.

Madara is a special case. If he was weaker, it was the exception, not the rule. And even then, Kabuto explicitly said Madara was stronger than he was in his Prime. Madara only needed a single seal to incapacitate Hashirama. Yet he didn't do it until Black Zetsu was in the picture. Thus, it shows he was just holding back against Hashirama who couldn't tell the difference.