In 941, he was appointed Seisei-taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the western barbarians") to suppress an uprising in the Seto Inland Sea led by FUJIWARA no Sumitomo, and this time, he was successful.
941年（天慶4年）には瀬戸内海で反乱を打つため征西大将軍となり、藤原純友を討っている。