However, even in spite of these incidents, the Otomo Clan did not entirely lose its power: OTOMO no Otomaro was appointed as the first Seii Taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") and sent to defeat the Emishi (natives of the North, also called the Ezo), along with SAKANOUE no Tamuramaro in the early Heian period and in late 803, Kunimichi returned to the capital with an imperial amnesty and was promoted to Sangi.
しかし、それでもまだ全く衰退したわけではなく、平安時代初期の桓武朝においても、大伴弟麻呂は初代征夷大将軍となって坂上田村麻呂と共に蝦夷を討ち、後期の803年には国道が赦されて帰京し、参議に昇進している。