This is an ongoing debate among both readers of the manga and anime watchers on whether or not Kawaki is good or bad. At first, he is a villain since he is siding with the Kara organization. However, he changes his mind further in the story and decides to join the good side. He even protects Naruto and others from harm and even risks his life for them. As a disclaimer, this is my personal take, and there are a lot of conspiracy theories waiting for confirmation.