Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-25516007-20141008201906/@comment-25464204-20141015162528

ItachiWasAHero wrote: The academy apparently kept records of each shinobi's skill and aptitude and the length of time it took them to graduate to Genin, Itachi was stated to the most gifted and intelligent in the entire history of the academy as there has been none like him apparently.. and mind you Hiruzen was part of the first graduating class in the academy at the age of 15-16. Hiruzen also said his intelligence and mindset was already at Hokage level when he was 7, he defeated Orochimaru at 11. If he never had his disease, there would be no single shinobi in history to be able to beat him in a one on one fight. He was THAT much of a gifted prodigy apparently.. and people have to remember that Shikamaru didn't have massive stats, yet he beat people stronger than him with his mind alone, Hidan for example so Itachi himself is definitely somebody that Kishi needed to give a deathly disease to...

Well Itachi is very strong but if he was healthy he wouldn't be the strongest. If he was healthy, I still give Madara and Hashirama above his level, even Nagato.