Masakado left the countryside and went to Heian-kyo (ancient Kyoto) to become a follower of FUJIWARA no Tadahira, who was the uji no choja (chieftain) of the Fujiwara-Hokke (the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan); however, he returned to his own territory when his father, Yoshikado, passed away unexpectedly.
将門は地方より平安京へ出て、藤原北家の氏長者であった藤原忠平と主従関係を結ぶが、父良将が急死したために領国へ戻る。