The ninpō lit. "laws of ninja", or simply okite lit. "rule", is the law that ninja followed. It had many rules and the most important rule is of keeping the secret of ninja themselves and of the daimyō who gave them the order. The severest crime is leaving a ninja family without authorization and never coming back. He or she would be called nukenin and his or her family members would be tasked to bring him back, dead or alive.