Most come from a hidden village, of which some come from specialised ninja clans, and will perform missions for a fee. These missions can include: doing manual labour, acting as escorts, gathering secret information, retrieving stolen items, carrying out assassinations, etc. In times of war, ninja will come together to defend their villages and land. The clearest characteristic of a shinobi is their ability to manipulate chakra to create and use techniques. Shinobi are expected to be loyal to their villages for life, and any defectors are considered to be missing-nin, and will be marked for death.