The a-Kira Story

A Death Note one-shot chapter was released on February 4, 2020, in the March edition of Jump Square magazine. Original manga author Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata again teamed up to create the new chapter. Later the same year, it was announced that the chapter would be released in a new compilation volume titled Death Note: Short Stories.

It is a continuation of the original Death Note manga series, which ended in 2006 and last had a one-shot chapter in 2008. The story explores the events that occur when a Shinigami comes down to Earth.

Some of the completed manuscripts for this chapter were released at Obata's Never Complete Exhibition in 2019. The exhibition, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Obata's career, ran in Tokyo from July 13 to August 12, 2019, before traveling to other cities in Japan.

Plot
Is what was brought about by the Shinigami that came down to Earth what it seemed?

When the Shinigami Ryuk returns to Earth more than ten years after his last visit, he gives the Death Note to the top-scoring student in Japan, hoping that he will follow in Light Yagami's footsteps. He is surprised when Minoru Tanaka returns the notebook and asks him to return in two years' time.

Now a high school student, Minoru accepts the notebook from Ryuk, but he has no plans to use it himself. With the Shinigami's help, and his own ingenuity, he auctions it off anonymously as his actions are followed and predicted by Near. The United States of America buys it for a sum that leaves every Japanese citizen under the age of 60 set for life, but the King of Death creates a new rule of the Death Note that thwarts Minoru and the U.S. President's plans.

Synopsis
In 2013, Midora gives Ryuk the spare notebook back and informs him that she didn't succeed with creating a new Kira. Ryuk then reminds her she has something else to give him, to which she throws him an apple from the human world, remarking how she remembered. Ryuk then consumes the apple and heads down to the human world to find a human who would feed him apples and give him the same kind of entertainment as Light.

The Chapter then time-skips to 2019, and shows a high schooler named Minoru Tanaka sitting on his bed and leaning on the wall. Ryuk emerges from the floor and taps the notebook on his head, which shows him Ryuk and recieves all the memories he had on the Death Note. Minoru then says how its been 2 years to which Ryuk responds by saying he came out of the floor like promised and says he's a shinigami that keeps his word. Minoru says that he knows that.

The time jumps back to 2 years in 2017 opening to a Falculty Room. In the room, teachers are remarking about how Minoru Tankana scored top in the IQ tests again, 3 years running. A teacher says despite this fact Minoru repeatedly recieves low grades and wonders if motivation is the problem. The paper test reveals an IQ of a 142. Minoru is seen sitting on a swing looking at a 28 point English test and stating how stupid he was. Suddenly, he is hit by the Death Note from above and is hit on the head. When Minoru takes a look at the Death Note he suddenly hears a voice that says it belongs to him now. Minoru looks above to reveal Ryuk floating over him and screams, falling off of the swing. Ryuk comments how Minoru has top scores on tests 3 years in the running. Minoru expresses disbelief, until realizing that Ryuk is talking about the Intelligence tests. Minoru states that despite that, the smart students are the ones that get good grades on actual tests, and says that idiots like him only waste time playing IQ quiz apps and listening to music. Ryuk leans close to his face and asks him if he is an idiot. Minoru says that although he is a terrible student, he is good at puzzles and riddles and isn't an idiot in that sense. Minoru then asks Ryuk to move away from his face, but Ryuk ignores this and states that he may be "suited" for a certain job. Minoru asks him what he is suited. Ryuk then says that they should go to his house to which Minoru immidietly says no, until Ryuk says that only Minoru can see him.

In Minoru's house, Ryuk explains to him that Kira had used a similiar Death Note that he handed to him. Minoru gets excited upon learning this, exclaiming how he reduced the crime rate and ended wars. Ryuk comments that Minoru seems to know a lot about him to which Minoru responds by saying he learned about him in Ethics and History class. Ryuk asks if they treat him like a God, but Minoru says that Ethics taught his class that Kira was evil, while History said that he was a crazy mass murderer. Despite this, most people still see Kira as a good figure. Minoru asks how to use the Notebook and what it did. Ryuk states that the rules are on the first few pages but Minoru says he doesn't know how to read english and to translate it for him. After learning all the rules Minoru comes to respect Kira even more, saying how smart he was using all these rules to his advantage and to decieve people. Ryuk asks him for an Apple. Minoru gives him one and states that he is lucky, and that his Mom is on an apple diet. Minoru then remarks how what Kira did would be impossible these days due to technology advancing and everything being recorded both physically and online. He then says Kira would probably still have found a way to use it. Ryuk asks him if he could do the same thing Kira did. Minoru then asks Ryuk 2 questions. First, if there is any other human that could see him besides himself. Ryuk says that some people can see him but they are a very small amount of people. Minoru then asks him how far Ryuk can travel from him while he is in possesion of the notebook. Ryuk says that he can travel around 14 kilometers. Minoru reliquinshes ownership of the Death Note and asks Ryuk to return 2 years later with the notebook, saying that he would feed him as many apples as he wants then. Ryuk agrees and takes the notebook away, which erases Minoru's memories of the Death Note.

In the Present day (2019) Ryuk says how he went 2 years without apples. Minoru then states confidently that he would sell the notebook. Ryuk reacts surprised as Minoru says that he would sell it online. Ryuk says that he was the one who said everything online was tracked but Minoru responds by saying he wasn't going to use the net. Minoru then says the reason he asked him how many kilometers he could travel away was that Sakura TV Station. He asks Ryuk to write a specific message on a sign in Japanese. On Sakura TV, the News Broadcast is interrupted when Ryuk holds up the sign which states that the power to remotely kill people used by Kira would be on sale on Twitter with #POWEROFKIRA and asked them to post the bid in USD.

New rules of the Death Note
Three new rules were introduced in the one-shot chapter.

How to Use It: LXVII

 * Regarding the memories mentioned in Rule XLVII, the owner can have their memories of the Death Note erased if they so desire.
 * A god of death should stay near the owner of the Death Note, but they may go as far away as 14 km.
 * A human who sells or buys the Death Note will die. The seller will die when the money is received and physically in their possession, while the buyer will die when the Death Note is in their possession.