"Medic Ninja in Danger" (狙われた医療忍者, Nerawareta Iryō Ninja) is episode 278 of the Naruto: Shippūden anime.
Synopsis[]
With the enemy side either defeated or else retreated for the night, the Allied Shinobi Forces regrouped to recuperate. Keeping watch through the night, Kiba and Akamaru are shocked when Neji faints due from the excessive use of his Byakugan. Reminding his comrade that he too could detect the enemy using his nose, Kiba advises the young Hyūga to seek medical attention from the Logistical Support and Medical Division. Elsewhere, Nagato and Itachi converse as they travel through the night. Neji eventually makes it to the main medical compound, but is halted at the gate by two Akimichi and is informed that he could not enter until his identity was confirmed by headquarters' Sensor Division. Eventually making his way to Sakura's tent, the two have a brief conversation. It is later reported that three medics had been assassinated causing great panic in the compound.
As the medics discuss the situation, Neji declares that he would find the culprit with his eyes; at the same time a mysterious Iwa-nin watches on from the shadows. As panic spreads through the ranks, comrades begin asking each other questions to verify their identities. As two Kumogakure medics do just this, Neji arrives claiming to have lost someone he was tailing. Elsewhere, the mysterious Iwa-nin approaches Sakura. This suspicious ninja, however, turns out to be infatuated with Sakura and expresses his feelings to her, she however turns him down, stating that she was in love with someone else. Back in the tent with the Kumogakure medical-nin, Neji kills the two men, noting that he was the suspicious person and moves on to find Sakura. As Nagato and Itachi are stationed at a shrine of sorts, they wonder why the technique user was going to such lengths to stop them from encountering the opposing forces and surmises that they would be used to break the lull in the war the next day. As the real Neji — who had not gone to the medical compound out of stubbornness — recuperates, Hinata assumes his duties. When Shino told her not to overdo it as well, she noted that the war was to protect Naruto and as such, she would give it her all.
Back at the compound, "Neji" asks of Shizune's whereabouts and Sakura is able to catch him in a lie when she tells him that Shizune was tending to Tonton's sprained leg and Neji replies that it was a good thing that it wasn't her hand. Asking Sakura to look at his hand again, he attempts to kill her but Sakura drives him into the ground. Pinning him there, she delivers another devastating blow which undoes the transformation and he is revealed to be a White Zetsu Army clone. Demanding that the intruder tell her how it was able to mimic Neji's chakra in that manner, she begins to piece together the clone's abilities. The same thing starts occurring in different Alliance sectors and reports begin pouring into headquarters of comrades killing each other. Believing that someone is controlling the shinobi with genjutsu, Ao notes that even for someone of Itachi's prowess, it would be difficult to pull off such a feat. Inoichi then relays the information he received from the medical division and with this, Shikaku begins to put together a strategy to counter the White Zetsu Army clones.