Thereafter, from the late Nara period through the early Heian period the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan had been losing ground to the Southern House of the Fujiwara clan and the Ceremonial House of the Fujiwara clan, partly because although Fusasaki's sons, FUJIWARA no Nagate and FUJIWARA no Uona, became ministers of the left in the era of Emperor Konin, Nagate's heir, FUJIWARA no Oyori, died young and Uona was involved in HIKAMI no Kawatsugu's war, whereupon he fell from power.
その後奈良時代後期～平安時代初期にかけては、光仁天皇朝で房前の子である藤原永手・藤原魚名が左大臣となるも、永手の嫡男藤原家依は早逝し、魚名は氷上川継の乱に連座して失脚したこともあり、藤原南家・藤原式家に押されがちの状態にあった。