Job Shadowing [Hono, Kaito]

Part of him was regretting not changing out of his uniform before heading out. Even if it was the closer districts to the Seireitei, having that kind of identification brazenly in the open like that was not something he felt was safe. Maybe he was just being paranoid, though. Hono certainly didn't seem to be too concerned -- after all, it was some of the closest districts to the Seireitei.

So, as she told him to investigate it, Kaito paused for a moment, before sighing quietly and turning around. If they were this close to the Seireitei, they likely wouldn't cause much trouble. Maybe they were just like him, people who rolled an unfortunate lot in life, and were trying to survive. He needed to be more open-minded, after all, especially after meeting with Byakuya Kuchiki.

He walked a small ways back to where they came from, peeking down one of the alleyways. It looked empty, but he wasn't stupid -- he knew that there were plenty of places to hide, as well as plenty of places to flee from that were hidden from site.

"I know you've been following us. Come out now, I'm not going to hurt you."

Despite him saying that, a hand still rested idly on his sword, a mixture of rest and feigned openness. If they didn't mean him any harm, then there would be nothing to worry about -- but, if by chance, there was danger, he was ready to defend himself.

"Why were you following us?"

For a moment, he was worried that the person tailing them wasn't actually going to come out, and he'd just end up standing there looking like an idiot. But, a man with purple hair slithered out of the shadows. Certainly an...interesting color choice, but, he wasn't one to judge (much, at least). So, Hono had arrested a part of his group.

Then, the name of their gang came out, and Kaito had to take a moment to keep himself composed, as well as process the...very peculiar name. He blinked a few times, before tilting his head to the side. Even if he wasn't the primary concern, this was still his matter to settle. He hadn't done anything yet, so, for now, he just needed to keep him talking.

"The...Cabbage Crew? Um, what is it that you and your friends do, exactly?"

Maybe he had a bit too high of expectations to expect anything particularly unique from such a name, but...well, that was certainly a method. It was both impressive and ridiculous at the same time, and it just caused him to sigh softly, shaking his head. They were thieves, but they absolutely were no Robin Hood.

"Who I am isn't important. Listen, let's just...go for a little walk, alright?"

He put a hand on the guy's shoulder, quietly, but still firmly pushing him to follow as he walked alongside him. He didn't intend to go very far, just a short distance away to try and see if that would cool his anger a bit. Maybe he should just leave it to Hono, let her do her job. Maybe it was naivety that made him want to try and solve this himself, or maybe it was just arrogance, but, he didn't want to jump to that solution. There had to be another way to go about this.

"Kyabetsu, do you know what Robin Hood does? He steals from the rich and gives to the poor. What you're doing is just...stealing from the poor and giving it to other, even poorer people. It's not...really helping anyone. Trying to get revenge on the person who rightfully locked your crew members up for stealing won't do much besides get you locked up too. Plus, you did just confess your crimes."

It was a kind of obvious statement to make, but, this was his home. Even as a student, he wanted to try and make a difference, no matter how small.

"Look, I might not be one of Hono's coworkers, but I can't just let you try to attack her. That's just going to get you into more trouble."

Even if they were a small gang of criminals, there was still camaraderie and brotherhood to be found, even in the darkness of the world. He couldn't really say that he was able to fully relate to his situation, but he did understand.

"It would hurt, I understand that, but you can't just forget that your group are criminals. You should have known that doing this would eventually come back to bite you."

He too would feel upset if his friends or comrades were taken away from him, but, yet, there was still a pang in him that went against the notion. Despite the underhanded methods he used in combat and the legacy he had began cultivating for himself, his heart called for justice, though he was not impassionate and blind as it was. Sighing softly, a hand rested on his sword.

"I understand that some in the Rukongai are struggling, I'm one of them, but I'm still doing my best to make a difference. There are ways you can help others without resorting to just petty theft. Pick up a trade, find work, help stop criminals in the districts. Your brothers will eventually get out, and you can be a positive influence on them when they come back, especially with you being the leader."

Kaito rolled his eyes, shaking his head lightly as Kyabetsu tried to backtrack his confession. Even if he didn't have the authority to arrest him, he was more than capable of restraining him for Hono -- or, worse, should it become necessary. But, as he noticed Kyabetsu's eyes watering, his expression shifted to one of confusion. He wasn't really all that great, and it wasn't really all that big of a deal. But, it was still a bit nice to hear that he had done something of merit.

"There's already many Shinigami that come from the Rukon, to my knowledge. But, then again, there were and probably still are a lot of nobles..."

Kaito visibly cringed at the notion. Nobility was a plague to him -- people with power, money, resources, yet so many of them did little to nothing in terms of benefiting the world they were supposed to be protecting. But, as Kyabetsu shifted to look at Hono, Kaito followed his gaze for a moment, turning back to look at him, just in case he did try to attack her again.

"Not a whole lot, I'm just doing a job shadow for today. I only really know her name and the division she works in, but that's it."