Board Thread:Versus Debates/@comment-26005711-20150512133037/@comment-734582-20150721145030

Yalocalsupahero wrote: I would like to point out that Hiruzen was valid in all his fights as a handicapped old man. We never saw him fight at age 30 or 40. [...] Several people have mentioned the FTG being a thing in favor Tobirama. But I'm willing to bet that Hiruzen knew it as well. [...] After all we know Minato knew before he was Hokage that he was the heir apparent for that job. We also know he had the FTG before he became Hokage. So when did he learn it? Yea agreed on all points. Hiruzen has the (perhaps questionable?) honor of his fame outliving his power. Enma, and even the Anbu seemed shocked that Hiruzen had degraded so far in power. Orochimaru was afraid enough of him to fight with Edo Tensei in stead of a one-on-one. He was a hair away from being sealed, even against a 70-year old hokage way past his prime. If he is Sennin level at that age, it's not strange to think he can compete with Hashirama.

As i mentioned elsewhere, Hiruzen is probably tying with Soraka for the most frustrating character in Naruto as he's supposed to be one of the strongest characters yet we barely see him fight, let alone on a satisfactory level.

He likely knew Flying Thunder God, though how far his mastery of that jutsu is simply unknown. Only Minato outran the other Hokage, so his speed is on par with Tobirama and Hashirama.

Minato learning FTG from Hiruzen seems likely. Also, he was called the Professor but what jutsu did he exactly develop to be called this? We know Jutsu the First, Second, Fourth and even Fifth and Sixth hokage developed as their own (First with his wood jutsu, Second with FTG, Edo Tensei and Shadowclones, Minato who perfected FTG, Tsunade who developed healing and the Seal, Kakashi who developed Raikiri and even Naruto who developed Rasenshuriken.) But we know of no jutsu that can be pointed to Hiruzen. It seems at some point Kishimoto just forgot about Hiruzen.