The mystery surrounding the identity of Metal Lee's mother has perplexed the Boruto fandom for years. All the other characters belonging to the next generation have a clear family tree. When the identity of both parents is known, it becomes easier to understand the source of that character's personality or abilities. Even the mysterious Mitsuki was eventually revealed to be the child of Orochimaru, through cloning and genetic engineering.
However, the only confirmed parent of Metal Lee is his father, Rock Lee. Metal's mother is entirely unknown to the fandom. Uncovering the identity of Metal Lee's mom would not only reveal more information about him, but about Rock Lee as well. What kind of woman would Rock Lee have a child with, and what would their relationship be like?
Boruto Fans Think Tenten Is Metal Lee's Mother
One Reddit user speculated the identity of his mother might shed light on why Metal has so much anxiety. Rock Lee has always been a confident ninja, and is never afraid to put on a show to impress the people around him. However, his son is the exact opposite. Metal is extremely self-conscious, and panics when he realizes that people are looking at him. Maybe this is a trait he inherited from his mother or something he learned from watching her.
There have been many different theories proposed by the fandom about Metal's lineage. Some of them are more believable than others, but all are worthy of consideration. The most popular theory is that Tenten is Metal's mother. This wouldn't be a far stretch; Tenten was the only female member of Rock Lee's old squad. Therefore, it's believable that romance could have bloomed between the two. Sasuke got married and had a child with his former squad mate, so why not Rock Lee? Reddit user u/nyfilexs has even cited a scene from one of the Boruto openings as evidence. In the scene, all the parents of the next generation are standing together -- and Rock Lee is next to Tenten.
The issue with this theory is that the series has never shown Tenten and Metal interact before. If Tenten is his mother, it would be strange that there has never been a scene of her training Metal, or even talking to him, considering that she is still present in the village. Unless Tenten is just an extremely neglectful parent, it's hard to imagine her as Metal's mother.
Did Rock Lee Adopt Metal?
Another Reddit user, u/borutostan19, jokingly theorized Metal Lee doesn't even have a mother. Just like Orochimaru, perhaps Rock Lee produced a child asexually, through the power of youth. Both Rock Lee and Might Guy are known for claiming the power of youth can overcome anything. Maybe in this case, it can even overcome human biology.
However, the most probable of the fan theories is that Rock Lee simply adopted Metal and his biological parents are unknown. Rock Lee could be serving a similar role for Metal that Might Guy served for him. Even though Rock Lee and Guy looked strikingly similar, the two of them were not related. Despite that, Guy still acted as a father figure for Rock Lee and trained him in his fighting style. Other children in the next generation have likewise been adopted; Gaara adopted Shinki and has been raising him to be his successor. The same situation might apply to Rock Lee and Metal.
The parental bond that exists between Rock Lee and Metal is extraordinarily strong, regardless of the true identity of Metal's mother or whether Rock Lee is his biological father. Rock Lee believes that anyone can become a powerful ninja, even if they were born without any special abilities or didn't come from a famous family. Metal Lee is turning that belief into fact. With Rock Lee's teachings and Metal's hard work, he is learning to overcome his anxiety and grow as a ninja.