Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-28846843-20160625201600/@comment-3965545-20160630224200

Doesn't matter when master Fire release users such as Hiruzen or Madara can simply burn the wood release or break it with the diamond staff in Hiruzens case.. as Madara and Hiruzen has shown multiple times. Hiruzen has a counter to everything Hashirama can do. Hiruzen already knows all about Hashirama and his techs and power and what not.. he was the frickin man's apprentice since Konoha was founded... hell he was also a student under Tobirama as Tobirama's team. He knows what each of them can do considering he knew them all his life until the day they each died.. he was purely confident he could beat both Orochimaru, Hashirama and Tobirama as Edo Tensei until he figured out his old age won't let him do it without the Reaper Seal. He was even besting Orochimaru and the two edo's while he was 69yrs old... 69 darn yrs old. Now in his prime he was stronger than Tobirama = Izuna = MS Madara according to manga and DB4. Like Hashirama he is the only other person called God of Shinobi.. he is also called the proffessor for his knowledge and usage of all Konoha related non Kekkei Genkei techs, and his countering of all Konoha related techs. It was made clear that even at 69 he was stronger than all other Kage, which was Mei, Onoki, Ei, and Rasa at that time. So the underestimation of Prime Hiruzen needs to stop. He could at the very least tie with and die with Sage Mode Hashirama. They both share the God of Shinobi title with Hagoromo. Showing they earned it for a reason.