Naruto Shippuuden Episode 84

[Sam98034]

I'm sure the third could use 3+ elements. They did call him the professor correct? And he knew many techniques. I'm pretty sure you could possibly learn all 5 if you were very very good. The different elements might represent something like different learning styles. Some people need to see it, some people prefer reading the manual. It could be something like being a pro football player/CEO of your own company/Mathematics PhD /Psychology PhD/MD. It's not really impossible, but see if you can do it. And having any two of those would be really rare.

[Buffalobiian]

I'm sure the third could use 3+ elements. They did call him the professor correct? And he knew many techniques.

He was called the professor because he "knew every single technique in Konoha." Whether that means he can perform them all to the same proficiency is another matter, We barely got any information on him though, so exactly what he could do is pretty unclear.

As for whether he could use 3+ elements, I remember him using fire and earth during the Hokage battle. I doubt Kishi had element affinities in mind back then