Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement (承認, Shõnin) is the 5th chapter of Volume nine and 75th chapter overall.

Plot
Light is upset at the fact that Mello isn’t dead. He realizes that Near probably doesn’t want Mello killed because he is a source of information for him.

Just then, Near calls L, which is one of many repeated calls. Near feels like he’s into something big because the new L had mentioned that they were still in possession of the notebook. He wonders why Kira is letting the Japanese police continue possessing the Death Note, especially since the Japanese police is supposedly hunting down Kira, and he might not want them knowing certain facts about the notebook. It’s enough for Near to conclude that the new L is Kira. He says he’s “seven percent serious”, but he needs Mello to gather the rest of the evidence.

Then, the vice-president of the U.S. holds a press conference in order to proclaim that the United States has accepted Kira and will do nothing to stand in its way. Needless to say, Light is thrilled.

The SPK wonders what will happen to them now, and Near answers, in disgust, that they will be most likely dissolved.

Back in Light’s apartment, Matsuda is watching and wonders out loud whether Kira is really all that bad. He is fighting against evil and for a peaceful world. Aizawa counters by saying that it’s a peaceful world based on fear. However, Light chimes in saying that Kira will be considered either good or evil based on the results. This means if Kira is captured, then he is evil. If he succeeds, he is good.

Conception
Ohba said that the chapter's title "Acknowledgement" refers to the United States Government accepting Kira and Light's acknowledgment that he knows that killing people is morally wrong.

Ohba went on to say that that the U.S. Government's act is "probably more like "recognizing" than "accepting."