Board Thread:Versus Debates/@comment-142748-20150410212019/@comment-142748-20150413005904

Trappedinmygenjutsu wrote: Yasaka Magatama and Ameterasu don't need to destroy a country, they only need to clear the 30M distance between himself and Hashirama. But both are beneath the notice of shinobi of Hashirama's caliber. Amaterasu is absorbed by Mokuton and Yasaka Magatama are easily dodged. Itachi would be in striking distance of Hashirama by the time, he uses his mokuton jutsu and from there the battle would be a very tight affair. Even if Itachi is on the defensive, he is great at turning the tide of battle using his genjutsu or shadow clones to turn his opponent's moves against themselves (Deidara VS Itachi). ...that argument sounds like 'he's Itachi so he can do this'. Hashirama is faster and has higher reflexes than Itachi. If Itachi is turtled down in Susano'o, guess what he can't do anything else due to the strain his body is under.

Deidara vs Itachi doesn't factor into this match since Deidara didn't even know of the Sharingan back then and made eye contact, a mistake Hashirama won't make. There is no reason for Hashirama to know that Itachi is an Uchiha by prior knowledge. He would have to look Itachi in the face and the fight would be over. In the series people haven't sensed someone's chakra and instantly gone, "That's an Uchiha". Look at what I gave for the Knowledge. Hashirama knows Itachi is a Uchiha. And guess what, in the series people who have sensed chakra do know who they are related to. Look at Mu, commenting that Gaara and Rasa have the same/similar chakra. Hashirama knows Uchiha chakra very well, its very distinct. Saying Hashirama can't deduce it is a disservice to Hashirama's character. I am not saying that Itachi would have a complete understanding of Hashirama's move pool, but he is aware of what caliber shinobi some one like Hashirama is. Itachi is also able to figure out his opposition's abilities nearly instantly and counter them. Which gives Itachi an intelligence advantage throughout the fight. If Itachi was as good as you say he is, his only option would be retreat since he cannot face Hashirama head on at all. Genjutsu, Itachi's MS techniques and his ninjutsu are all options that do him no favors against Hashirama due to the sheer disparity of their abilities. I am not saying that Itachi would win in every clash, but I am saying that both characters have the abilities to take each other out. Hashirama and Madara have a higher "power level" than characters like Itachi but people like Itachi have more efficient tools which don't require himslef destroying a planet in order to kill one person. Shinobi with the abilities of Itachi, Hashirama, Madara, Naruto, Sasuke, Hagoromo, Hamura, Tobirama, Obito, etc all have the ability to take each other out depending on the slightest factors of how the battle turns out. ...no, no he cannot. That's a vast, vast overestimation of Itachi's abilities. He is not strong enough to fight with the likes of Hagoromo, Hamura, Juubi Jin Madara, Juubi Jin Obito, or EMS Madara and SM Hashirama, or RSM Naruto and Rinnegan Sasuke or EOS Naruto and EOS Sasuke. Itachi is on Jiraiya's tier by his own admission, which is High Tier. Against Top Tiers and God Tiers, he comes up short. There is no way, not even if hell freezes over, he can compete with them. His genjutsu is useless against all of them, his physical abilities are woefully inadequate, and Totsuka would probably backfire against the Juubi Jins or Naruto and Sasuke, and Yata Mirror is featless and would probably be blown away.

Itachi isn't one of the strongest ninja in the Narutoverse. Not anymore. He got hit hard by the power creep.