In the world of Naruto, those who can unleash ninjutsu consider it a true freedom of expression for their abilities.
In this context, Isamu is fortunate, even though his current body is not a genius by any means; he still surpasses the average of his peers at this age.
If he follows a suitable training regimen, he will have the ability to increase his chakra capacity over time.
This is true despite living in the body of a member of the prestigious Uchiha clan; his current body is not talented to the degree that others expect from members of this legendary clan.
From his memory, when his grandfather began training him previously, his ancestor did not show any special talents in chakra extraction, hand-to-hand combat, and, most importantly, ninjutsu.
Although his progress was better than that of other civilian ninjas, it was considered ordinary compared to other clan members.
Based on this, it would be better for him to give up the dream of becoming a figure like Itachi or the legendary three, relying solely on genetic talent. The original owner's abilities were limited, with the utmost potential he could reach in the future being that of a jōnin.
When his grandfather discovered this, he felt a slight disappointment but did not show it to Isamu; instead, he praised and encouraged him, which made the original Isamu believe he might be talented.
The current Isamu, thanks to his prior knowledge of the original story, was fully aware of how exceptional true geniuses were and their extraordinary abilities.
"Now is the time for the most important test," he murmured to himself with quiet excitement.
Isamu approached the mirror in his dark room and closed his eyes for a moment. Then, slowly, he reopened them and looked at his reflection. His glowing crimson eyes had transformed, featuring one magatama gently rotating within them.
"Is this the Sharingan?" he murmured softly.
Since the moment he crossed into this world, he had noticed a strange change in his eyes when looking in the mirror.
Thanks to his knowledge of the Uchiha clan's abilities, he immediately realized that the Sharingan had awakened. However, with every attempt to activate it, he was struck with a severe headache that prevented him from fully utilizing it.
After a week of adjusting to his new body, Isamu felt ready to try to control the Sharingan again.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring into the mirror, where his glowing crimson eyes were reflected once more, with one magatama rotating within them. Those changing eyes lingered for a brief moment before slowly returning to their natural state.
"The Sharingan..." he whispered in admiration, savoring that magical moment. But he couldn't hide his slight disappointment; once again, he had failed to gain full control over the power.
"It seems my current body lacks sufficient chakra to support the Sharingan's operation for a long time," he said softly.
He grabbed his old notebook and began carefully jotting down his notes: "The Sharingan... this great legacy of the Uchiha clan seems more complex and deceptive than it appears," he wrote in his hesitant handwriting.
He pondered what he knew about the Sharingan. "When a bearer of this kekkei genkai experiences a strong emotional state towards a loved one, their brain releases a special type of chakra that affects the optic nerves, transforming the eyes into Sharingan. This is why the Sharingan is described as 'the eye that reflects the heart.'"
Despite the immense power the Sharingan possesses, it requires strong emotional and psychological triggers for development. More importantly, it needs innate talent.
"Can a body without innate talent achieve the same level of power?" Isamu wondered to himself.
The awakening of the Sharingan upon entering this world was not due to his physical talent but rather a result of the mental strength he acquired from his identity as an adult in his previous life.
That strong spirit allowed him to mentally surpass those of his current physical age. In addition, the sadness and negative emotions left in this body, which he felt after the original owner's grandfather's death, were part of the emotional triggers that contributed to awakening the Sharingan.
However, he knew that this was not the natural path for members of the Uchiha clan. Most clan members may never awaken the Sharingan in their lifetime, while a minority of them awaken it on average after becoming genin, achieving up to three magatama at most.
Evolving into the Mangekyō Sharingan was a distant dream, often requiring a significant emotional shock or unbearable pain.
"Even with the strongest triggers," Isamu wrote in his notebook, "most Uchiha members cannot surpass three magatama.
Life and death happen constantly in the ninja world, yet only a few have been able to develop the Mangekyō throughout history."
Isamu began to realize that relying solely on emotional triggers would not be enough to develop the Sharingan to its fullest potential.
He started thinking of alternative methods, perhaps strategies based on precise training or techniques that rely on balanced control of the mind and body, to surpass the natural limits of the Uchiha clan.
Isamu paused for a moment and took a deep breath, then said thoughtfully, "Without the proper qualifications, even if you lived through all the pains of the world, you wouldn't be able to fully open your eyes."
He was fully aware that this reality posed a natural barrier to anyone seeking to develop the Sharingan to its maximum potential. Despite the frustration that crept inside him, he was not ready to give up.
He knew the original story well and understood that the Sharingan was not just a physical ability. Unless a person was chosen as a vessel for one of the bijū and possessed chakra similar to that of the Hokage or higher, the Sharingan would remain the best starting point for reaching great power in this world, granting its bearer the opportunity to become one of the strong.
That was why Isamu decided to start researching how to develop the Sharingan. He was fully aware of the significant obstacles he faced, especially in his current situation. In addition to lacking natural talent, there was a greater issue regarding motivation.
Isamu, as someone who lived forty years in his previous life before time traveling, had lived a calm and stable life, akin to the life of an "old dog," as he described it himself.
He did not have strong emotional ties or a sense of responsibility towards others in this new world. Even if he lost everyone around him, he did not think it would affect him deeply enough.
Unlike members of the Uchiha clan, who were known for their dramatic nature and willingness to sacrifice connections in pursuit of power and achieving their ideal visions, Isamu was not attached to this idea.
He believed that even if he tried to build strong relationships in the future, he would not possess any lofty dreams of building a better world worthy of sacrifice. In other words, he saw himself as an ordinary person driven by his own selfishness.
Isamu realized that emotions alone would not be enough in his case, as he had not experienced the deep connections that other Uchiha members possessed.
This conviction led him to direct his journey to develop the Sharingan with a cold strategic mindset, steering clear of being engulfed in the emotions and impulses that had driven many from his previous clan to power.
For him, the path to power required systematic planning and a focus on hard work and rational analysis, rather than relying on the emotional impulses that awakened the powers of the Sharingan in his lineage.