Metal Lee

is a genin of Konohagakure's Lee clan.

Background
As Metal Lee's parents continued to stay close to their own childhood friends, Metal ultimately got to know the kids of his parent's respective friends very well. On the day of the Seventh Hokage's inauguration, he watched the ceremony beside his father along with Tenten and Might Guy.

Personality
Metal is a hot-blooded and dedicated shinobi, much like his father Rock Lee, who he has sincere respect for, and his father's sensei Might Guy. This was exemplified when he was seen participating in his father's gruesome training regime. At the same time, Lee seems to suffer from social anxiety, always worrying about people's views of him and wanting to impress others. He also seems to have stage fright, as when too many people watch him, he locks up and becomes unable to move or perform properly. Eventually however, he was able to adjust to his anxiety, no long letting it hinder his performance, despite still being visibly there. Metal also appears to be a well-read individual, as he showed in-depth knowledge of the five current Kage, though ironically, he is unaware of how strong Naruto is.

Appearance
Metal Lee bears a strong resemblance to his father: he has shiny black hair worn in a bowl-cut style, dark eyes, and very thick eyebrows. His eyes, however, are noticeably sharper. His likeness is further perpetuated by his attire: he wears a green jumpsuit with orange leg warmers, a scarf and bandages over his hands.

Abilities
Lee specialises in the Strong Fist-style taijutsu, and, when not overwhelmed by his insecurities, lives up to his reputation as a genius even within his taijutsu-excelling clan. He's shown to have great stamina and endurance, able to keep up with his father's daily intense training regiments. Lee also has notably high strength, able to easily pummel rocks with his fists, and deliver fierce kicks. Such strength has allowed him to hold his own against Shinki, losing the fight only because of a technicality. He also has adept reflexes and dexterity. In the anime, while using his natural anxiety to drive him, Lee instinctively fights in a more erratic yet extremely effective manner similar to the Drunken Fist, which proved able to pressure his taijutsu master father in a serious match.

When properly motivated, he can subconsciously open at the first of the Eight Gates. Lee is also quite adept at shurikenjutsu, able to effectively aim for targets from behind blind-spots. Unlike his father, Metal Lee is able to externally release his chakra and thereby perform ninjutsu. As such, he is able to effectively perform Cooperation Ninjutsu and Fūinjutsu, able to use both to restrict a person's movements and expand the might of this alongside fellow users.

Academy Entrance Arc
In the anime, on the day of the Academy entrance ceremony, Boruto Uzumaki without warning crashed a train into the Hokage Rock, cancelling the ceremony. Two weeks later, after Boruto's suspension ended and he finally joined the class, he quickly got into a confrontation with the class' top student Iwabee Yuino. As two students began arguing about what it means to be shinobi, they decided to skip class to settle things in fight. Lee joined the rest of the class to watch the fight in a training arena. Ultimately, Boruto and Inojin Yamanaka's respective words resonated with Iwabee, ending the fight. Despite the pleasant ending, Lee and the rest of the class were fiercely scolded later by sensei Anko Mitarashi for skipping class.

Later, as class started learning shurikenjutsu, Lee's social-anxiety started up during practice. Once getting caught up in Boruto Uzumaki's reckless fun, Lee joined some classmates in doing repair work for the Seventh Hokage's stone face as punishment. In Lee's eagerness to impress others, he accidentally caused more damage to the structure. Afterwards, Shikadai Nara made note of his problem, telling Metal to get over it. Deeply troubled by Shikadai's words, Metal walked away solemnly. The following day, a shadowy mist engulfed Lee. Increasing Lee's hostility, he quickly attacked Shikidai on sight, demanding he fight back. With the combined help of Boruto and Inojin, they were able to subdue Metal. As the possessed Lee began to break free, he stumbled over and accidentally knocked himself out, caused the shadowy mist to leave him. Once awakening, Lee was given an apology from Shikadai for his early comments. Lee, oblivious to everything that happened, quickly accepted Shikidai's apology. Once gaining praise for his performance while not getting nervous, Metal insisted that it was because he practices so hard, encouraging his friends to do the same. Later, Lee grows closer to his friends, playing videogames with them.

During a class introducing students to summoning techniques, Boruto got into another argument with Sarada, which spared a similar argument between all the girls and boys. Ultimately, Shino decided to have the boys and girls settle things with a race challenge for a flag. The challenge quickly got heated, with Lee ultimately getting captured by the girls once his anxiety got in the way again. In the end, the girls won the contest, but despite their victory, the girls made peace with the boys. Later, the class gained a new transfer student from Otogakure named Mitsuki. Wanting the students to warm up to Mitsuki, Shino organised a welcoming party for the new student. When Shino's efforts for the party backfired with his insects, the class began to freak out, with Denki Kaminarimon begging someone to make the insects go away, which Mitsuki did with his Wind Release: Breakthrough, causing even more damage to the Academy.

Later, the class was assigned by Shino to split into groups of three and each tail a different workplace for a few days to better understand non-shinobi life. Lee conviced Ionjin in gong to the Fire Department. While tailing their work, Lee helped in putting out a fire. However, his social anxiety got the better of him again, causing him to spray the fire hose all about the area. Later, Lee checked on some of his friends after learning that they were hospitalised from a recent attack. Afterwards, he was recruited by Shikadai to go after the culprit. He and his friends then met up at the post office to discuss their plan. After splitting up to patrol the village, the culprit of the attacks unleashed their Shadow Spectre on the post chief Komame. Lee's group however quickly appeared, having anticipated this move as all their recent efforts were clearly being spied on. While half the team stayed to save the possessed Komame, Lee's half pursued the masked culprit. While the post chief was saved, the spectre and the culprit ultimately got away.

Several weeks later, Shino decided to change up the three-man teams for their next challenge to determine the optimum pairings for graduation. Lee was paired up with Boruto and Mitsuki. During their challenge to capture a flag, Shikadai took advantage of Lee's social-anxiety, noting how everyone was watching him. While Lee froze up, Chōchō quickly knocked him out. Shino was then called aside concerning Sumire. As the class began discussing rumours that Sumire was being transferred to a different school, they were relieved to see her return to their class.

When the class was preparing for the Tree Climbing Practice, Denki was the only one in the class who couldn't master the art of climbing through chakra moulding. As Denki continued to practice alone even after class, Metal decided to help Denki, encouraging him to join in a cliff climb. When Denki slipped, he was saved by Rock Lee's timely appearance. The older shinobi was moved by Denki's determination and decided to supervise Denki's training. Afterwards, Lee gave Denki his own jumpsuit, which Metal supported his father in proclaiming its worth.

Sarada Uchiha Arc
During the day of the Kage Summit in Konoha, Lee was rigorously training with his father. As his father emphatically told him that he was in the springtime of his youth, the young man echoes his father's words, much to his father's approval.

School Trip Arc
In the anime, to improve relationships with other villages and symbolically show the warring era was over, the Seventh Hokage set up an official class trip for the Academy to go to Kirigakure. Upon arriving, they were met with Kagura Karatachi, who was appointed by the Mizukage to act as the class' tour guide. The class was later taken to meet Chōjūrō, the Sixth Mizukage, who welcomed the class to the village.

Graduation Exams Arc
As ninja classes began preparing for the graduation exams, Metal met with his teachers and father to discuss his progress and goals for the future. During which, Metal and his father continued their over-enthusiastic training routine.

During the exams, taking up Shino's subtle offer to try stealing the test answers for the written test, Metal and his friends were able to easily pass the test. Later, during the practical and final test, the class was brought to the training field. There, the entire class was set up to face Shino, Anko Mitarashi and Konohamaru for 24 hours. While the teachers would still evaluate the students' respective improvements, the students' true test was against Kakashi Hatake. The Sixth Hokage quickly explained that he would only pass the first student who is able to take the single bell attached to his hip. As the test began, Metal soon found himself under a genjutsu by Anko. He soon after escaped it and joined his friends in facing Anko.

Ultimately, Anko defeated her foes and captured the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. Lee then regroup with the remaining students. There, Boruto, deeply affected by Kakashi's hard words, Boruto apologised to his friends for "failing" them by dragging their performance down with his lazy attitude. However, Lee and all the others insisted that it was because of Boruto that they overcame so many of their problems. Inspired by Lee and the other students' praise, Boruto realised the truth behind the teaches' deceptions. He then conceived a series of plans to pass the test, which the friends all backed up. Together, they were able to eliminate the other teachers save the students that were captured, the latter of which in turn helped back Boruto's play against Kakashi. They all attacked Kakashi while disguised as Boruto, but the Sixth Hokage easily blocked their assault. This however was a setup, allowing the team to catch Kakashi in a Multiple String Light Formation. While pinning down Kakashi somewhat, he quickly repelled them with his Lightning Release. Ultimately, time ran out. However, despite no one getting the bell, Kakashi passed all the students as they succeeded at the test's true goal; loyalty and team-work.

Genin Mission Arc
In the anime, at the Academy, Metal was placed on Team 5 with Iwabee and Denki. The team personally received their first mission from the Seventh Hokage involving pulling a giant turnip out of the ground, which they succeeded in doing.

Byakuya Gang Arc
With the continued thefts performed by the Byakuya Gang throughout Konohagakure, Team 25 was assigned alongside the other genin teams to help stop the self-proclaimed noble thieves. However, the genin were not permitted to engage the Byakuya Gang without aid from a chūnin or higher-ranked shinobi. Sometime later, Team 5 worked on repairing a bridge. During which, they were alerted to the Byakuya Gang's appearance. Following Iwabee's overzealous nature, Metal and Denki joined their team-mate in engaging the thieves. Ultimately however, the thieves proved too powerful and easily repelled the genin's efforts. During the counterattack, Metal blocked an attack on Denki, but his assist damaged his arm, putting him in the hospital.

Versus Momoshiki Arc
Lee takes part in the Chūnin Exams with his team where they pass the first part of the exam, thus leading his team to the next round. Lee's luck runs out during the second part of the exam when his team encounters Team Shinki. While Lee was fighting Shinki, the latter uses his Iron Sand to steal the flag of Metal's team, eliminating them from the exam, much to Lee's disappointment. He later watches the final round of the exam beside Konohamaru Sarutobi. He and his team-mates cheered for Boruto when he defeated Shinki to win the tournament, but were very distraught when learning that he cheating used an advanced ninja tool, the Kote, which was deemed banned from the Chūnin Exams and thus was disqualified.

When Momoshiki and Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki appeared and began devastating the arena, Denki used his laptop to look up the design of the arena, plotting out the best escape route. Lee was then told where to take spectators. After the attack ended and the Seventh Hokage saved all the lives there at the cost of being captured himself, Lee was sent to the hospital to tend the citizens' injuries. A few days later, after the Ōtsutsuki were defeated and things began returning to normal, Lee helped in repairing the village.

In the anime, as Lee continued to struggle with his anxiety with too much attention on him, Rock decided to teach him the Eight Gates. However, upon seeing his son rely on useless luck trinkets for confidence, he postponed the training, telling Lee that he can't master the Eight Gates as he is now. Lee then met with Might Guy, who saw through Lee's inner struggle. After learning about how Guy got past his grief in his injury and continued to push forward, it made Lee question his faith in his trinkets. Later, Rock challenged Lee to a match, with the condition that there would be a large crowd and if Lee didn't land at least one blow, he would never receive training for the Eight Gates. Against his father, Lee removed his trinkets and fought through all the stares and laughter of the crowd, which in reality boosted his performance. Ultimately, Lee unlocked the first Gate, letting him solidly hit Rock and win. As both Guy and Rock were proud of Lee for facing his problems, Lee finally found pride in himself.

Mitsuki's Disappearance Arc
In the anime, after the apparent betrayal of Mitsuki to Konohakagure and his desertion, the village was put on lockdown. Later, when Boruto approached Metal and his team to see if they had seen Mitsuki, they informed him they hadn't.

As Metal and his team continued their patrol duties during the lockdown, they bumped into a frantic Yurito. He claimed that someone attacked one of the guards in recovery and was rushing to get help, but Udon saw through the lie as Yurito would have sent someone else to report such an act as he was head of the Medical Security. Realising he was found out, Yurito took Denki hostage, only for the genin to escape with a flash bomb. As the team's genin attempted to subdue Yurito, Udon realised that he was under genjutsu. He proceeded to free him. As the man began coming to his senses, a C1 Explosive Clay emerged from his flack jacket, detonating and killing Yurito.

Later, after eavesdropping on the Hokage, Metal and his friends learned of the danger Team 7 was in at Iwagakure. The genin were determined to help their friends and requested to join the Hokage. While Naruto initially refused to put the genin in danger, the group firmly said they will go with or without his approval. Admiring their loyalty to their friends, Naruto decided to let them. Upon arriving at Iwa however, the battle was already won and Team 7 was safe, leaving Metal and the others relieved.

The victory however came at the personal sacrifice of the Third Tsuchikage. While the Konoha-nin wanted to attend the funeral, Naruto sent them all back to Konohagakure.

Naruto Shinden: Family Day
Metal appears in this novel.

Mujina Bandits Arc
When Konohamaru wanted Boruto to come to him, Metal informed him of Konohamaru's request.

Ao Arc
At the Training Hall, Lee watched Boruto fight the Seventh Hokage alongside other genin.

Trivia

 * Metal Lee's name is derived from the metal musical genre and is a play on Bruce Lee, whose given name is pronounced the same as blues in Japanese. It is a continuiation of the pun established with his father, Rock Lee.