Board Thread:Versus Debates/@comment-31337598-20170812163641/@comment-32569165-20170815233547

David Kibasennin wrote: I checked the english translation (both viz and mangastream) the french translation, the italian translation, and asked for confirmation on the japanese translation from a buddy.

In each one of these sources, he's saying something along the lines of: "im the strongest one here" or "if anyone here has got the highest chance of survival, it's me". At no point is it specified whether or not he included Tobirama in his count or not.

So to be frank, we're both technically making assumptions.

However, Hiruzen has been portrayed as a prodigy child, acing the classes, getting trained by both hokages, etc etc. A prodigy, like Sasuke who basically surpassed Kakashi by the time he had obtained an eternal mangekyo. A prodigy like Kakashi who made Jonin at the age of, what, 13? A prodigy like Itachi who was an anbu by that same age (i think...?).

If a non-prodigy like Naruto can surpass his master Kakashi by the "Pain" arc, then I got no problems at all thinking that a Hiruzen in his 20s, a character who was considered a prodigy, has surpassed Tobirama. Yes it's true, I am assuming too.

Again this very comment of yours is yet another assumption. The thing is if we were to compare their jutsu, speed, stamina, etc. Tobirama would probably take the majority of those points. I am fairly certain that we can both agree that in terms of Jutsu and Speed Tobirama far outclasses Hiruzen. We could argue about intelligence, but I think Tobirama could take this too, given the fact that he has fought much more than Hiruzen as he faced the Uchiha clan countless times(Same goes for battle experience). I simply don't see what could Sarutobi possibly use against Tobirama that would beat him.