Patience

Patience (忍耐, Nintai) is the forth chapter of Volume twelve and 102nd chapter overall.

Plot
Matsuda panics and tries to open fire on Mikami. However, the SPK members point a gun at Matsuda while Near tells him to calm down because they won't die.

Near explains that he modified the Death Note. After finding out Mikami's writing patterns of one page a day, they replaced the pages that Mikami was using to write today with fake ones. When Mikami finishes writing in the notebook, they will then seize it, read all of the names and whosever name is not on the notebook is Kira.

Light thinks to himself that this is exactly as he planned!

He believes that Near is a fool because he was so insistent of having 100% proof that he is Kira. Because Light would never admit to being Kira, Near decides to catch him in the act. However, Light comments to himself that it would have been easier for Near to just shoot him. But, Near's pride is his downfall.

Light already knew about the modification of the Death Note. However, the Death Note that they modified was a fake, and the notebook that Mikami is now using is the real Death Note!

Mikami created a fake Death Note while he sent five pages every day of the real Death Note to Takada. Then, Takada would write the names of the criminals. When Gevanni was tailing Mikami on the subway train, he had taken a photograph of the man's face to send to Takada who judged and killed him.

Light figured that Near would replace the pages while Mikami was in the gym. He also figured that he would take advantage of Mikami's "one page a day" habit, in order to replace the page that he would use on the 28th. When Mikami inspected the notebook and found the modification, he called Takada who paged him with the message, "I want to see you ASAP." That's when he knew the victory was his.

He thinks to himself Near is far inferior to L. The former L would have tested for the possibility of a fake notebook by sacrificing human lives. Near is too soft, and it will prove to be his defeat.

Light tells Teru Mikami to come in to the room. Mikami calls him, "God!" Light is annoyed, thinking that it is too early to say that. It is the longest 40 seconds of Light's life.

But there are now three seconds left...