All right, I usually don’t do fic recommendations, but seriously: if you’re a Kanji/Naoto fan, you NEED to be reading this fic.  This writer is amazing, and it always makes me incredibly flustered when she likes one of my headcanons, because… those are just headcanons, whereas she’s writing this masterpiece of Kanji/Naoto fanfiction!

Here’s the link to the fic:  http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5337624/1/The-Shortest-Distance-from-A-to-B

Here’s why you should read it:

The gist of the fic is the entire game, only in Kanji’s POV, as he deals with his feelings for Naoto.  It starts right at the beginning of meeting him, and goes through everything that happens in the game.  Not just his social link, or hers, but it includes the entire team – which is great.  Souji, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Rise, Teddie, hell even Dojima, Nanako, and even some of Souji’s social links are important in this story.  It includes all of their feelings and portrays them beautifully.  This fic is so much bigger than Kanji and Naoto, it includes important events, like Nanako getting thrown into the T.V., them finding out who the killer is, and just… everything.  It addresses things that I honestly wish the game and anime would’ve touched on.  

The rest below the cut are spoilers to the fic and the game, not enough to ruin it, but if you don’t want to know then don’t read.

Souji’s feelings during the Namatame arc, how he had to deal with his friends betraying him like that.  Also, him wondering what all of these bonds mean, if he actually feels them or if he’s going through the motions.

How everyone else feels about everything.  I especially love the portrayal of Rise, who gets to stand back and watch all of this happen – in and out of battle – and actually FEEL it because of the persona she has.  No one seems to think about Rise, since she’s the “assist” character, but how painful it must be to be an assistant when your friends are being hurt, or turning against one another, ESPECIALLY if you can feel/hear their thoughts.

How personas level up, how some of the team’s personas level up faster than others.  The writer also includes their moves, their weaknesses, and effects of certain spells: like fear magic.

Kanji’s feelings about how Souji and Naoto seem to click, since they’re the “smart” ones.  Which besides the fact that Souji can have a romance with Naoto in game, she is the detective of the group, so them working together on the case makes sense, along with Kanji’s jealousy.  

A different take on discovering that Adachi was the killer.

Adachi’s feelings towards the team, particularly Naoto.  This, I personally love.  He hates her.  Which, in going with his feelings towards women, it makes perfect sense that he would hate the female detective who came along.  Also, does a wonderful job with the aftermath of the Adachi fight, how there’s no way it can be, “Happily Ever After,” when the officers LIKED Adachi – the goofball cop – and how Naoto – the little know it all “detective prince” – is claiming he’s behind everything.  Who would they really want to believe?  The detective with a smile or the detective who thinks so little of them?

The fights are done really well, and them going through Adachi’s world is chilling.  It IS a warped Inaba, of course it would effect them all, and this fic touches on that.

How Kanji and Naoto doesn’t happen right away, it’s a progress, during the case.  As much as I want them to just hook up, it wouldn’t be that simple, not with a) their issues and b) the case going on.  It’s painful to read, but it’s wonderful all at once.  You want them to get together, but it takes a long, long time, but I feel like it’ll be worth it in the end.

So, in conclusion, read this fic (and her other ones).  I feel like this fic IS the fic that represents the pairing the best, one of those fics where, “If this is your OTP, read it.  Now.”