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Revision Part 1 pishirogane September 9 2011, 04:40:37 UTC
Before game:

With the loss of her parents at a very young age, Naoto learned of death before most kids her age and never received the same parental affection others do while growing up. Sure, she still had her Grandfather, but he served more as guidance, helping her from the shadows when she began to study to become a detective. He became one of her role models along with several fictional male characters from the detective novels her Grandfather allowed her to read. However, she didn't have a female role model (this will come back) and with her constant studying, she didn't understand kids her age and trends. She lived in her own isolated world that just consisted of her Grandfather, his secretary (Yakushiji), and the Shirogane Estate.

When she got older, Naoto's Grandfather allowed her to assist with cases as a junior assistant. It's safe to assume that she lost the innocence of being a child this way. See, the Shirogane Family are Private Detectives, most commonly contacted for cases that the police require outside assistance for. Head canonly, I believe most of these cases would be homicides. Where most children would falter, Naoto was delighted to help her Grandfather, but this way, she was unknowingly opened up to the cruel world quickly. At first, her assistance was only known by her Grandfather, but soon, other people did and praised her as an Ace Detective. Slowly, she proceeded to take her own cases to handle without assistance.

While working solo, Naoto began to notice resentment aimed at her. When she wasn't working, adults detested her as a whole for being some upstart kid. She decided to try ignoring the scorn because she knew she would gradually age out of being a child. Still, the frustration from this treatment tended to become overwhelming and caused her to cry and throw tantrums in privacy.

With age not being a terrible problem, Naoto found herself also being dismissed for her gender by male officers. In Japan, they still have gender segregation when it comes to jobs and the police departments are no different. They're still considered male-oriented work environments and Naoto was viewed as a invader; a bizarre, girl-boy wannabe detective brat. Naoto knew there was no solution for that; all she could do was hide her true gender by dressing as a boy. She also cut her hair short and began speaking with a deeper voice and masculine pronouns. Due to all the changes, her ability to communicate with others worsened as she was no longer considered 'normal' to society. Soon, Naoto began forgetting who she was because she was trying desperately to be what she wasn't: the serious, adult male detective.

Moving into the game realm now:

To retain her male image, Naoto treats everyone distantly, giving them the cold shoulder and not allowing anyone to become too close and risk finding out her true self. Conversing, she speaks formally and rather curtly, causing some people feel insulted. On several occasions, the Investigation Team attempts to befriend her since she was the new kid at school. However, Naoto avoids all of their attempts (save for one on the school field trip to Iwatodai. That ended at odds) because she suspects them for being involved with the murder case.

(Murder Case: The series of mysterious murders occurring in Inaba over the course of Persona 4.)

The image she built begins to break when the Inaba Police dismiss her after believing they finally captured the killer. They accuse her of acting like a child and becoming obsessed with trying to prove them wrong. Furious, Naoto uses herself as bait to make sure her point finally got across. She ends up being thrown into the Midnight Channel, confronting her Shadow Self while the Investigation Team stands by, watching them argue. Shadow Naoto chides Naoto, reminding her of the policemen's treatment, how all they wanted was her brain while rejecting everything else about her. It torments her for being a lonely child and a girl who desperately wants to become a boy if only to fit in later. If the Investigation Team didn't arrive, her Shadow was prepared to cut her open and botch a sex-change operation to kill her.

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