'Naruto' Sees Rock Lee's Son Open His Inner Gates

Naruto may have a flashy focus on all things jutsu, but you don't have to know the Rasengan to become a top-tier ninja. Rock Lee is proof enough that even the most chakra-inept can turn into heroes, and it seems his son is following in his fast footsteps.

That is, if he can just get a handle on his anxiety.

Recently, Boruto stepped out with a new episode, and it saw Naruto usher in a new Inner Gate explorer. Like Maito Gai and Rock Lee before him, Metal Lee began his training to tap into his Eight Inner Gates, but things didn't go smoothly at first.

Thanks to Metal's anxiety, the poor guy had issues as he trained with Rock. The genin wasn't able to do a full Leaf Hurricane as he lacked the strength, but he got their with some help. Gai reminded Metal of what it means to persevere as a ninja, prompting the boy to give it his all during a final match with Rock at the episode's end.

With dozens watching, Metal and Rock fought again, and the boy managed to unlock a fighting style that suits his anxious habits. Similar to the Drunken Fist, Metal goes all out with Anxious Fist and blows out a Leaf Hurricane after unlocking his first Inner Gate. By unlocking this gate, Metal is able to use the Front Lotus technique, but he's got a ways to go before he can live up to both of his teachers. Gai opened all of his Inner Gates and lived to tell the tale thanks to Naruto while Rock can open the first six so far.

Do you think Metal will one day surpass his father? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows a young ninja with a sealed demon within him that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto:Naruto Next Generations is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and featuring the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations recently even made TV Tokyo's list of Top 5 Anime in sales and profits, coming third in sales and fifth and profits. The anime has been such a success that the Naruto franchise as a whole stills holds a top spot in many anime profits rankings as well.